


Pieces of the Truth

by LadyDeb



Series: Re-Shuffling the Galaxy Far Far Away [1]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Families of Choice, Gen, Jedi Culture Respected;, Jedi Saving themselves;, Jedi and Mandalorians working together;, Jedi being Awesome;, Mandalorians being awesome;, Protective Clones;, love doesn't equal attachment;
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 86,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22320310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDeb/pseuds/LadyDeb
Summary: The most successful lies are those based in truth. . .as Anakin Skywalker and the rest of the Jedi discover when they rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi from a six-month-captivity.
Relationships: Boba Fett & Jango Fett, Boba Fett & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cliegg Lars/Shmi Skywalker, Dooku & Anakin Skywalker, Dooku & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Owen Lars, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Asajj Ventress, Owen Lars & Anakin Skywalker, Owen Lars/Beru Whitesun, Padme Amidala/Xanatos of Telos;
Series: Re-Shuffling the Galaxy Far Far Away [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607602
Comments: 63
Kudos: 137





	1. Prologue:  The Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: This is the first story in what is currently a duology. It is an AU, because I love turning canon on its head and shaking it until it rattles. This particular one explores the idea of, what if the Star Wars universe we’ve come to know and love over the last forty years was someone’s nightmare? Specifically, Obi-Wan’s. And so, I present to you (slightly modified from its original content over at fanfiction.net), Pieces of the Truth.

Disclaimer: The concept of Star Wars and its characters belong to George Lucas, though some of the characterizations contained herein are mine, as do the characters of Kimi Pelonite and Jasleen Palpatine.

Prologue

The Rescue

Rattarak  
Early in the Second Year of the Clone Wars

The two young people crept down the stairs into the dungeon, lightsabers unignited for now. The young man in the lead drew in a deep breath, nodding to himself. Yes. They were on the right track. His Master's Force-signature was dimmed, but he would recognize it anywhere. His thumb pressed the emitter and a bright blue light sprung forth. His blonde-haired partner said softly, "Go to him. I'll handle any. . .trouble that might crop up. Remember. I know this place." Her smile was feral, reminding the young man of the girl whom his Master and grandmaster met many years earlier. He nodded, raised his lightsaber in a salute, then followed the admittedly-muted signature of the single most important person in the galaxy to him.

It took very little time to find him, and Anakin Skywalker, the so-called Chosen One, stepped cautiously into the incongruously clean and sterile prison that held his Master for the last six months. Incongruous, because they were in what was the dungeon of a singularly unpleasant fortress. His eyes swept over the room, taking note of the machinery to which his unconscious Master was hooked, courtesy of a steel band around his forehead. Off to one side was an intravenous tube, no doubt supplying the Jedi with nutrients, and possibly sedatives to keep him unconscious.

"Oh, Master," he breathed. His master lost a considerable amount of weight since Anakin last saw him, just before he left on that ill-fated mission to protect Senator Amidala, and his hair was longer, his beard somewhat thicker. Unfortunately, he also lost muscle tone, and that would not be so easily remedied. Anakin choked back his grief, instead running his eyes over the machine off to one side. Was there time to free Master properly? The sound of shouting in the corridors and the distinctive snap-hiss of a lightsaber. . .no, they were running out of time.

Still, he couldn't hurt his Master. Anakin stared at the offending piece of machinery, silently debating how much damage it would do to his Master if he simply destroyed the kriffin' thing. He was entirely too aware that simply destroying the Force-forsaken monstrosity might end up killing his Master. But. . . The soft moan of anguish from the prone figure stopped his heart. . .and made his decision for him. With a snarl of rage, Anakin lifted his lightsaber high over his head and slashed through the machinery that was torturing his master. He wished, with all of his heart, that whoever was responsible for this monstrosity felt its destruction.

But he wouldn't worry about that now. Instead, Anakin deactivated his 'saber, quietly replacing it at his hip, and then strode to the table. He choked back another sob, seeing his master's beloved features for the first time in months. Anakin stroked back the unconscious man's hair, sliding the steel band from his forehead at the same time, released the restraints, then scooped the still body of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi into his arms. Only the soft puff of breath against his neck reassured Anakin that his master still lived.

"How is he?" his companion on this rescue mission asked, appearing in the doorway. Her face paled and she all but ran to them both, stroking Obi-Wan's face and hair tenderly. She whispered, "Oh, Obi-Wan. I should have made that monster suffer for what he did to you." Anakin didn't reprove her. In some ways, they were entirely too much alike. . .in their natures, as well as their love for Obi-Wan. After a moment, she regained her composure and said softly, "Let's get him out of here, while none stand in our way. I've already commed Master Dooku."

"Good. Let's get out of here, Asajj, and take Obi-Wan home," Anakin replied. Asajj Ventress nodded, stroked Obi-Wan's hair one last time, then turned around to head back up the steps to freedom, her blonde braids bouncing along her shoulders and back. Anakin followed, cradling his entirely too light Master protectively against his chest. Asajj had contacted his grandmaster, and if there was one thing about Master Yan Dooku that one could always expect from the elder Jedi, it was his ferociously protective attitude toward his former padawan.

"C'mon, Master," Anakin whispered, "we're taking you home, and we'll take care of you. Grandmaster Dooku always says that you take care of us both, and he's right. It's our turn to take care of you." He hugged Obi-Wan again and continued to trudge his way up toward the light, toward freedom, toward safety.

TBC


	2. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we have the return to the Temple aboard the ship that took Anakin and Asajj to Rattarak, as well as those waiting at the Temple for their return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention, to anyone who might be curious, my main model for Asajj in this story is Kristin Lehman; specifically, her character Shirah in Chronicles of Riddick. Also, at the time this was written, Asajj wasn't Dathomiri, and there was some confusion about whether her parents were themselves warlords, simple farmers, or something else. Next chapter has Obi-Wan's awakening. FYI, in this chapter, you find out just how alternate universe this story really is.

"How is he?"

Asajj Ventress looked up as Anakin Skywalker joined her in the sleep area they were assigned by the owner of the shuttle, where she was ministering to Anakin's still-unconscious Master. She glanced toward the front of the ship, and Anakin added, "It's in good hands. I needed to stretch my legs and check on Master. How is he?" Her expression told him that Asajj wished she had a good answer to that question. They would reach Coruscant soon, and not only was Obi-Wan still unconscious, but he showed no signs of waking.

In a low voice, she responded, "I did a preliminary medical exam, so I could give the healers more information once we reached the Temple." Anakin nodded in understanding. Much to the amazement of many, his 'older sister' showed some talent with diagnosing and healing injuries. Asajj went on, "He was beaten, fairly early in the captivity, and some of the injuries still haven't healed completely. I've also found evidence of Sith lightning, which could explain how he couldn't fight back. But the worst part, Anakin? Each time I've tried to help him release pain into the Force. . .I'm blocked. I'm not sure if he's blocking me, or something else, but he won't let me help him. He's unconscious, but he won't let me help him."

Asajj's voice was calm, but Anakin sensed her frustration and fear. He said nothing, having a good idea how she felt. She went on after a moment, "Do you remember when we caught up with the Tusken Raiders who took your mother a few years back, and how I talked you out of killing them? How I told you that we had to think of Shmi, not revenge?" Anakin nodded, wincing at the memory of his mother's fight for survival after they rescued her and returned her to his stepfather, and Asajj went on, "We found out later that those Raiders killed others, and we both felt so guilty about it."

"I remember," Anakin said softly. He didn't ask her where she was going with this. Instead, making an educated guess, he observed, "You're thinking that if you had killed that pile of bantha poodoo back when you had the opportunity, before Grandmaster Dooku and Master Obi-Wan found you, then maybe Master wouldn't have been captured or hurt. But you're wrong, Asajj. Even if you had killed him, he was just the guard. . . not the man who captured Master." That earned him a glance over her shoulder and a roll of her eyes, and truthfully, Anakin had a hard time accepting his own words.

"I doubt if Sidious is the one who beat Obi-Wan. His kind really prefers not to get his hands dirty, so it goes right back to him. I lost my parents and my first Master to that monster, Anakin," Asajj rasped out (she avoided speaking the man's name, as ever, Anakin noticed), "I don't think I'll ever forgive myself if someone else I love dies because of him." Anakin knelt beside her and slid his arms around her from behind, resting his cheek against her hair. She was so different from the feral girl Master and Grandmaster described for him. Twelve years earlier, when she was found on the rock they just left, she was thirteen years old, grief-stricken and sick with rage over the loss of her mentor, completely hairless, and her skin was a ghostly white.

As she adjusted to the Jedi Temple and began to find her smiles again, her skin darkened to a more healthy tone, and baby-fine blonde hair began to cover her once-bare scalp. She was an object of some curiosity, because she wasn't raised among the Jedi. . .but it wasn't the same as when Master Windu was growing up. Plus, she had Master Obi-Wan and Anakin's grandmaster to help her. . .and that said a great deal. Other younglings came to accept her even more two years later, after Anakin was discovered on Tatooine, and after Master Obi-Wan killed the first Sith to appear in more than a thousand years. Reflected glory, his Master had said with a wry grin as he cut Anakin's hair into the traditional padawan cut.

Probably. But the other padawans and younglings still viewed Master Obi-Wan with awe, and the two padawans closest to him with envy. Technically speaking, as the padawan of his grandmaster, Asajj was Anakin's 'aunt,' but Anakin viewed her more as an older sister. They grew up together, competed with each other, conspired together, and sometimes wept together. When they were children, they were each other's best friends. So when they received this new lead about Master Obi-Wan, there was no way anyone else would be sent. Grandmaster Dooku was needed elsewhere (which did not set well at all with him, but Anakin and Asajj convinced him to let them handle it. Especially after they pointed out that he would be a distraction, rather than an aid).

All of those facts flittered through Anakin's mind as he hugged Asajj and murmured, "You won't lose Master, Asajj. I mean, really. He's gentle, but he's also stubborn as the day is long. Something Master Yoda brings up at least once a week. 'Stubborn like your master, you are. Need that, you did not!' To which Grandmaster Dooku points out that if anyone's stubborn, it's Master Yoda. He just 'hmms' and his ears flatten back against his head, then Master Windu changes the subject, but you can just tell he's trying so hard not to laugh." His imitation of Master Yoda made Asajj laugh, as it was meant to, and Anakin just grinned broadly.

"Master Dooku sometimes says that the best kept secret in the crèche is that Master Windu isn't nearly as scary as he seems at first. Then he just gives me that really evil grin of his and reminds me that I'm not to mention that to anyone, because we don't want to ruin his reputation," she replied, and even if he couldn't see her smile, he could hear it in her voice. Anakin just hugged her again, relieved that his sister was starting to accept that Master's injuries weren't her fault.

And that was when it happened. Master Obi-Wan began to shift on the bed, his head rolling from side to side as he moaned softly. Asajj leaned forward to comfort him or wake him, but the words he spoke froze them both in their places, "Gone. . .all gone. Should have died on Geonosis. I have failed you, Anakin. . .I have failed you. I loved you. . . you were my brother!" Anakin's blood ran cold. It wasn't just the words which horrified him. . .it was the agony in his Master's voice. Master Obi-Wan sounded as if Anakin had broken his heart. And not for the first time, the twenty-year-old wondered exactly was done to his poor Master while he was held captive.

It also convinced him that he needed to speak to the owner and pilot of the ship, to see if they could get back to Coruscant faster. He pressed a gentle kiss to his master's forehead, more than a little frightened by the clammy skin, and told Asajj, "Stay with him. I need to talk to Xan." Asajj nodded her agreement, lightly stroking Master Obi-Wan's forehead and damp hair, and then Anakin turned back to the cockpit. He didn't know Xanatos of Telos very well, but one thing he did know: Master Obi-Wan would probably be dead now, if it wasn't for the former Jedi. And he was immensely grateful that Asajj was even allowed on the ship after her last confrontation with Xan's wife.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

"Master Windu. . .I just spoke with Padawan Skywalker and Knight Ventress aboard the Queen of Naboo. They have Master Kenobi, and they're coming home!" a young padawan informed the Senior Council Member. Mace Windu closed his eyes in silent gratitude. They found him and they were bringing him home. The padawan waited patiently, though Mace sensed the excitement that bubbled just below the surface. He wouldn't chastise her. Not when a Jedi thought for six long months to be dead was coming home to them all.

"Has Master Dooku been informed?" he asked, careful to keep his voice neutral. For all the changes made in the last thirty-plus years, he was raised in the old Jedi Order, and old habits died hard. He would not chastise this girl for her excitement, but he was a Jedi Master and a senior Council Member, and a certain amount of decorum was expected of him. He could not give voice to his joy right now, no matter how much he wanted to do so. No, Mace would wait until later. . .perhaps when Obi-Wan was safely returned home and resting in the Healer's Wing. Until then, he would remain the Councilor. He would have time to be Obi-Wan's friend and honorary uncle later.

"I was assisting Master Dooku when the call came. He asks to beg your leave, but his former padawan will need him when they land. He also said you would understand why he needs to be there?" the girl completed, frowning a little as she relayed the message. She was not asking what it meant, he knew. Instead, she was making certain she gave the message properly. She gave it perfectly, but she was too young to understand why the message was worded the way it was. Mace wasn't.

Besides, Mace understood exactly what his old friend and mentor meant. From the moment the Force bonded Master Yan Dooku and the Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi nearly twenty-five years earlier, everyone who encountered the Master-Padawan pair recognized that his padawan was the center of Yan Dooku's life. Even after the young man was Knighted at the age of twenty-three, even after Dooku took another padawan (the angry, grieving child Asajj Ventress) and even after Obi-Wan himself took his first padawan (Anakin Skywalker), Yan remained devoted to his former padawan. Much to the surprise of many, the older Jedi was no less devoted to Asajj (or to Anakin). . .rather, the two new padawans were drawn into the circle of those dear to Yan.

"When you see him, please inform Master Dooku that we all know his place is at his former padawan's side. Both of them," Mace replied. The padawan nodded with a wide grin, and then she practically bounced off. Mace shook his head, trying very hard not to smile. . . not just at the girl's exuberance, but at his old friend's predictability in certain respects. Yan actually wanted to accompany Asajj and Anakin to Rattarak on the rescue mission. As Mace recalled, Yan's exact words to Yoda were, 'Obi-Wan was my padawan, and thus, he's my responsibility, you little green troll, regardless of whether he's sixteen or thirty-six!' Yoda wasn't particularly pleased with his former protégé (especially not with the 'little green troll' remark), but the days when Yan Dooku listened to him exclusively were long past. And in the end, it was Asajj and Anakin who convinced him that he would best serve Obi-Wan by remaining here.

Mace had no idea how they managed it, but he wouldn't look a gift Rancor in the teeth. One important thing about Asajj and Anakin. . .the term 'impossible' didn't apply to those two. People often said that Anakin made a habit of turning the 'impossible' into merely 'difficult,' but they didn't know Asajj. That girl was, without a doubt, the most tenacious person he had ever met, even more so than Yan, Anakin, and Obi-Wan combined. Tenacious, possessed of a somewhat volatile temper (that was mostly under control), and utterly devoted to those she loved, there was more than one time when Mace was extremely grateful that she was a Jedi, rather a Sith.

The same was true of Anakin, and, now that he thought about it, Yan Dooku as well. Mace shuddered a little as the young padawan scampered off, no doubt intending to share the happy news with her friends and age-mates. Over the last few nights, as Anakin and Asajj drew closer to Rattarak, Mace had a series of dreams. . .perhaps even visions. He was accustomed to seeing shatterpoints, but the dreams were something else entirely. Dreams of Anakin, Asajj, and Yan as Sith, or almost-Sith. He dreamed of a terrible confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan beside a river of flame.

There was only one thing that kept Mace from truly believing they were visions. In the dreams, Anakin fell to the Dark Side, became a Sith to save his wife. . .one Padme Amidala, the former queen of Naboo. That bit of information allowed Mace to relax, at least a little bit, though he was still unnerved by the dreams. For one thing, the former queen was already married to someone else. For another, while they were friends many years ago, when they were children, Anakin's loyalty was to his Master. . .never to Padme Amidala.

The dreams were, Mace believed, showing him what could have been, what might have been, and possibly what could still be, if they weren't careful. Anakin as a black-suited monster, redeemed at the last by his love for his son; Asajj, a broken woman who fled the star system, away from the Jedi, away from the Sith, away from the war; Yan, a Sith apprentice, who died on his knees after a shadowy figure demanded that Anakin kill him.

The shadowy figure, no doubt, was Sidious himself, who eluded the Jedi even now. Mace shook his head, dismayed. Ten years since the Sith revealed themselves on Tatooine, and they still had no idea whom Sidious truly was. It became obvious since Qui-Gon Jinn's death on Naboo that Obi-Wan killed the Sith apprentice. Yan Dooku was certain of it, after talking to his former padawan in the Healer's Wing of the Theed Palace. Mace was equally certain he was right.

He thought again of Yan Dooku. Yan could have fallen. If not for Obi-Wan, he probably would have fallen after Qui-Gon's death. . . especially if the changes of the last thirty years hadn't been implemented. But Obi-Wan needed him, and that was all Yan needed to know. His former padawan, a gifted young knight of twenty-five standard years, took his first padawan, the incredibly powerful Anakin Skywalker, and thus, Obi-Wan needed him now, more than ever.

To those who knew him best, there was no doubt at all that Yan mourned Qui-Gon's death. He mourned for the little boy whom he raised, he mourned for the man he could have been, he mourned for the potential that would never come to be. He mourned for all of that and more, but Qui-Gon was dead, and Obi-Wan was alive. Yan observed to Mace once that there was a saying on his world, 'let the dead bury their dead.' His priority was the living. . .his former padawan, his current padawan, and his newly-acquired grandpadawan.

Among those who didn't know Yan, his attitude seemed cold. Perhaps it was. But Yan was a strange blend of idealism and practicality. There was nothing he could do for Qui-Gon. . .he was beyond his help. Indeed, he was beyond any need for aid. . .safe within the embrace of the Force. But Obi-Wan was alive. . .badly injured, but alive. Mace closed his eyes, remembering the sight that greeted him ten years earlier, when he entered the Healer's Wing, with nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker at his side. Yan was on his knees beside his former padawan's bed, holding him tightly, his mouth forming the words, 'thank you,' over and over again. He could have lost both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. . .but the Force saw fit to spare the young man. He was grateful for what he still had.

As we all should be, Mace thought grimly. The war was taking a toll on everyone. . .the Republic, the Jedi, their closest allies. But they did have things for which to be grateful. The changes begun decades earlier were already starting to pay off. The Jedi were no longer alone. They always had each other, yes, but now that circle was widening, with no small assistance from Asajj and Anakin.

Which brought him right back to the ship that would be landing at the Jedi Temple in just under an hour. In that time, he would need to brief Master Yoda, before joining Yan in the hangar. He would fulfill his duty as a Senior Council member. . .and then he would fulfill his other duties. . .as a friend, as a brother, as an uncle.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

"Why?"

"That question covers a great deal of ground, Senator. . .maybe you'd like to clue me in on which 'why' you want answered. Why am I on this ship? 'Cause your husband was kind enough to offer it for our rescue mission. Why does my sister hate you? Kriff, I think you know the answer to that better than I do. Force knows she's despised you from the beginning. Why aren't we friends any more? You know the answer to that. Now, here's a question of my own. . .could you please move out of my way, so I can talk to your husband?" Anakin Skywalker asked coldly.

Padme Amidala, once of Naboo, now of Telos, looked away, but remained where she was. With a frustrated huff of breath, Anakin tried to go around her. . .she was a small woman, after all, but she moved to one side, blocking him. He supposed he could have physically picked her up and moved her out of his way, but that would have meant putting his hands on her forearms. . .and he had absolutely no desire to touch her. There was a time when he might have loved her. . .a time when he thought she was an angel. But he wasn't nine years old. Not any more.

"Ani. . .I know you're still angry with me about Geonosis and I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry that my foolishness led to Obi-Wan's capture. But it was a chance I had to take! I had to try to negotiate a truce, I had to try to stop the war before we reached the point of no return!" Padme retorted. Anakin nearly laughed aloud at that. Nearly. She thought this began with Geonosis? Oh, no. No, Geonosis was the end game.

"In the first place, as I've told you countless times over the last several months, my name is 'Anakin.' Only my family has the right to call me 'Ani.' And in the second place, Geonosis? Are you serious? You thought I turned against you because of Geonosis? Oh, you are full of yourself, Senator. Cast your mind back ten years, Padme. . .and to the lies you told your Jedi protectors. The lies you told everyone. Cast your mind back to the two bodies in the generator room of your palace on Naboo: one dead and one alive, but badly injured. Cast your mind back to Captain Panaka carrying the injured Jedi to the med-wing, my Master. My. . .Master. The same man lying unconscious back there. Now, remember the last time you saw him before we were assigned to protect you six months ago. That is why I turned against you, your Majesty," Anakin hissed, making no effort to hide his contempt.

Now Padme actually flinched. She whispered, "I'm so sorry, Ani. . .Anakin. I know I was cruel to him, and I know I was unfair, but. . ." Anakin had enough. He steeled himself, grasped her forearms, and physically picked her up. She squeaked a little in surprise as he set her to one side. He was in no mood to listen to her excuses. He had been listening to them for the last six months, ever since he and Asajj learned that Master Obi-Wan had accompanied the senator to Geonosis to speak with Nute Gunray and the other Separatists.

No more. He slipped into the cockpit and said quietly, "I wanted to thank you again, sir, and to let you know that it seems Master Obi-Wan is waking up." The pilot looked around at his entrance, shaking his black hair out of his eyes, and nodded to the co-pilot's seat. Anakin sat down quickly and gratefully. Confrontation with Padme aside, he was still shaken by his Master's words. What could have happened to him that he would say it was better if he died on Geonosis?

"Arguing with my wife again?" Xanatos asked a bit dryly. Anakin merely sighed and Xanatos patted his shoulder gently, adding, "I'm not angry with you, lad. I love her with everything I am, but I also know that you have every right to be furious with her. For what it's worth, Anakin, she is sorry. . .for all of it." Sorry, yes. Sorry. He heard that before. She apologized for her cruel and unfair accusations to his Master, then for dragging him to Geonosis to speak with the Separatists. He was captured while protecting her, then tortured, and she was sorry.

Anakin didn't want to talk about her any more. He forgave her for lying to him about her true identity as a nine-year-old boy. . . tried to forgive her for her bitter accusations against his Master when he was sixteen. For Padme Amidala, he had no forgiveness remaining. Xanatos evidently realized this, for he sighed, "Is it so hard for you to understand, young padawan, that my wife is as protective of me as you are of your Master, your grandmaster and your lovely companion? Padme was only seventeen when the treaty was signed to join Telos and Naboo, only seventeen when we wed, and some of that seventeen year old girl remains within her."

"Not at all," Anakin replied quietly, "but my Master is not to blame for your departure from the Jedi. He was hardly more than a baby when it happened. I do not appreciate your wife holding him accountable for whatever mistakes the Jedi Council and your former Master may have made. Maybe I should hold her responsible for the screw-ups of previous monarchs of Naboo? I mean, it's only right. If she can blame Master Obi-Wan for what happened to you, it's only fair that I can blame her for the errors of her predecessors or someone else from Naboo. And as far as my sister is concerned, her dislike of your wife goes back much further than that."

"Trust me, I've heard the stories. I'm still trying to figure out how to the Jedi managed to get a padawan into Padme's entourage of handmaidens without anyone being the wiser. That is not the Jedi Order I remember from my years at the Temple," Xanatos observed as Coruscant came into focus. Anakin released a breath slowly, relieved beyond words to see the city-planet. His grandmaster would be waiting for them, he knew, and most likely Master Mace as well. Sithspit, now that he thought about it, probably half of the Temple would be there to greet them!

"I really don't know. . .Grandmaster Dooku has never explained that, and neither has Master. I suspect because Master doesn't know. Back when I first met them all, I just knew Asajj as Mire, one of Queen Amidala's handmaidens," Anakin replied. He laughed a little, adding, "I remember on the journey back to Coruscant, how I was convinced that Mire had a crush on Obi-Wan and I was so jealous because I wanted all of his attention for myself." If someone told him then that the fifteen-year-old girl of whom he was so jealous would become his 'big sister,' he would have laughed himself silly.

"I thought my former Master was the one who found you on Tatooine?" Xanatos questioned, his voice betraying only curiosity, even when he spoke of Qui-Gon Jinn. Something that Anakin found interesting. He never really knew the Jedi Master in question. Yes, he encountered both Qui-Gon and his young brother-padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, along with a young girl he thought was a handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo (but was in fact the queen herself), but he never really knew the man.

"He was. . .he and Master. Grandmaster Dooku was recovering from a rather nasty virus, otherwise he would have accompanied Master Obi-Wan and Master Jinn. I don't know the particulars. Things happened awfully fast during that time. It seemed like one moment I was leaving my mother and Tatooine and the next, I was coming into the Healer's Wing and meeting my grandmaster," the young Jedi explained, grinning as he remembered the meeting in question. Of course, at the time, he hadn't felt like smiling. He was actually terrified out of his mind, his small hand encased within the large, warm hand of Mace Windu as he saw Master Dooku for the first time.

He held Master Obi-Wan tightly and tears rolled down his face. But he was smiling and mouthing, 'thank you' over and over again. Thanking the Force for Master Obi-Wan's survival, or so Anakin always assumed. For all that, he was terribly imposing to the little boy, and it was a good month or so before he stopped being fearful of his new grandmaster. If Obi-Wan was his father-figure (though Master Mace murmured on more than one occasion that he was really too young to have a nine-year-old son), then the tall, silver-haired man was a grandfather to him.

Anakin heard the stories about his grandmaster. Especially what he was like before he took Master Obi-Wan as a padawan. But to Anakin, he was always someone with whom the boy felt safe. . .the man who could be an indulgent grandfather and a devoted father. Long years before Anakin was born, the Jedi Order changed and Master Dooku was at the heart of that change. His own fears of the man were banished because of that change, and because of his obvious and immense pride and love for Master Obi-Wan. How could he be afraid of someone who loved his Master, just as much as Anakin himself did?

"You should make sure your Master is strapped in," Xanatos said quietly, interrupting Anakin's memories. The padawan looked at the older man, startled, and the former Jedi went on, "We'll be landing in a short time, and he's been hurt enough." Anakin nodded. . . yeah. Yeah, that was a good idea. He rose to his feet and started to return to his Master. But he only took a few steps, when Xanatos added, "Whatever else you may think of Padme. . .she was only trying to protect me."

Anakin fought back a surge of rage, and then released it into the Force. In a voice almost as quiet as the pilot's, he answered, "If she said those things to one of the Council Members, or to Master Jinn, or anyone else. . .I could have forgiven her, without hesitation. I wouldn't have needed to forgive her, because I would have thought of her as being in the right. But she attacked my Master, who was just a youngling when that mess occurred. If she wanted to protect you, she should have done it with someone else." Xanatos had no answer for that, and Anakin left the cockpit without another word.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

His boy was coming home. Yan Dooku could feel it. He could feel his former padawan's presence on the ship that was even now entering Coruscant's atmosphere. He was worried, though. The presences of his other former padawan and his grandpadawan were much stronger. . .much more vivid. Obi-Wan was injured, but there was something far more to it. Even when he was injured on Naboo, and Yan came so close to losing him, his presence never felt this muted.

But. . . He would be home soon. He would be home soon, and Yan could take care of him. He, and Anakin, and Asajj. . .everyone who loved Obi-Wan. A small hand patted his cheek and Yan turned his attention to the small girl in his arms. He couldn't help it. . .he smiled at the toddler, kissed her forehead, then hugged her tightly. A tug on the leg of his trousers alerted him to the other child, who asked, "Daddy home?" Yan shifted the little girl, and then knelt down to scoop the little boy into his free arm.

"Daddy will be home very soon, Luke. You have to be very patient with him, my little one. Both of you will have to be patient with him," he told the two children held. The eighteen month old twins looked up at him. . .the little boy, Luke, inherited his mother's coloring and his father's gentleness, while his twin, Leia, was a throwback to her paternal grandfather in terms of coloring. It remained to be seen whose personality she inherited.

"Master Dooku, I can take one of them. No doubt you'll need both arms when the transport lands," Bant Eerin said softly, appearing at his side. Yan never even noticed her entrance, but he was rather. . .preoccupied at the moment. The older Jedi spared her a gentle smile. He wasn't sure if she was here as a healer or as Obi-Wan's friend, but truly, he didn't care. He had no doubt that his boy would need her. That was why he shook his head before returning his attention first to the twins, and then to the landing pad.

"I thank you, Mistress Bant, but you will be needed in a very short time. My Obi-Wan has been hurt badly. . .and so he will need you. I will take care of these two little ones, for your sake," Yan told her. Bant tried not to smile, a battle she lost as Yan added a bit sheepishly, "If my arms are free, I will try to interfere. . .and that is not in the best interests of your patient."

"And have you finally realized that, old friend, after so many tongue-lashings from Bant?" an amused voice inquired and Yan turned to face Mace Windu. Now here was a surprise. The younger man shrugged with a half smile, adding, "I performed my obligations as a Senior Councilor. Master Yoda has been briefed. . .now I'm fulfilling my duties as an uncle and a friend. You didn't really think I wouldn't be here to greet Obi-Wan when he returned, did you? And you've known me how long?"

"Long enough to remember back when you had hair," Yan fired back, trying not to grin. Mace's dark eyes narrowed at the now-familiar dig, but maintained his dignity. At least, he maintained his dignity for now. Yan was thoroughly enjoying himself as he continued in an almost-confiding voice, "You are too young to remember this, Bant, but Mace actually had hair when he was young. I think joining the Council caused it all to fall out.." He tsked-tsked.

"And which of your padawans turned your hair white, old friend?" Mace returned. Yan rolled his eyes. Really, that was pathetic. . .now, he knew Mace could do better than that. Bant merely listened to the exchange, making faces at the toddlers in Yan's arms. Leia just giggled, while Luke struggled with 'pad'an?' Yan pressed gentle kisses to both foreheads, grinning at his younger friend wickedly. Mace added, "I know it wasn't Asajj, because it was white before you even met her. . .on the other hand, she probably could have turned it white, given the chance."

"Actually, I think Anakin has them all beat. . .in the first three years he was here, I was sure Obi-Wan would either tear his own hair out, or it would all be gray before he was forty," Bant observed. Humph. On the other hand, Yan couldn't argue with the young Healer. His grandpadawan, especially in his early years at the Temple, found truly creative ways to try his young Master's patience. And on more than one occasion, Obi-Wan admitted that only his own former Master's steady support helped him to stay sane. He needed all the help he could get, especially since Asajj both egged Anakin on and annoyed him. Those two. . .there was a reason they were nicknamed 'the terrible two.' Friends to the Jedi, such as Bail Organa, used it affectionately. Others. . .not so much.

It seemed, too, that Mace picked up on what Yan was thinking, for he asked quietly, "Did we give him the support he needed? Obi-Wan, I mean. He was very young for such a heavy burden. . .even if it was one he chose willingly." Yan raised his brows at the comment. Even if it was one he chose willingly? Mace said softly, "A long story. . .one I'll explain later. Raising a padawan is hardly easy, even when it's a padawan who was raised in the Temple, and not rumored to be the Chosen One."

"He did," Bant said unexpectedly, "Master Dooku was there, and if he and Asajj were on a mission, he always knew that he could go to you, Master Windu. I think it really helped when you and Master Dooku backed him against the Chancellor. He was afraid that he was being paranoid, but he had a really bad feeling about allowing the Chancellor near Anakin." Yan's jaw tightened. Perhaps Obi-Wan was being paranoid, but he didn't think so. He had the same unease around Chancellor Palpatine that Obi-Wan had. Perhaps for different reasons … on more than one occasion, he had the impression there was far more to Sheev Palpatine.

"Good. Good," the younger Master observed. He murmured, "Yoda says often that the future is always in motion. How much has been averted because we gave Obi-Wan the support he needed? But there's still a chance for disaster." Yan looked at his friend, concerned. He wasn't the only one. With that sensitivity the very young often show, Leia reached out to the Councilor with her small arms. With a gentle smile, Mace took the toddler from Yan's grasp, holding her against his chest. When he told her, "You, my little one, will have a good life," Yan sensed there was more to the statement than Mace's ability to see shatterpoints. . .a great deal more.

But he didn't ask his friend what he meant. Instead, he asked Bant, "And did he take comfort from my padawan's infatuation with him, or did it worry him?" Bant actually laughed aloud, making the two children giggle as well. All right, perhaps that was a foolish question. His former padawan, for all his gifts and all his intelligence, could be incredibly dense when it came to how people felt about him. It wasn't really a self-esteem issue. . .he simply didn't look at himself that way. Unless someone bluntly told him (as Anakin was wont to do), he just didn't think about it.

"I don't think he even really noticed how Asajj felt about him until Naboo, Master. And her flying into the medwing, still in her handmaiden tunics, made that rather obvious. That, and the way she and Anakin fought over who got to spend time with him," Bant giggled. Well, yes, there was that. Bant wasn't there at the time, but Yan was, and he told her about it, as did Asajj. That was actually somewhat embarrassing. . .his fifteen year old padawan jealous of the attention a nine year old received. However, they worked it out themselves (especially after Asajj learned that Anakin had been a slave).

"Who would have ever thought that a padawan of Yan Dooku would ever behave like that?" Mace observed with a broad grin, making Leia giggle. Yan merely glared at him, not bothering to dignify the dig with a response. . .not even when Mace added, "Oh, that's right, except for Obi-Wan, they've all acted like that!"

Bant cringed and stepped forward to take Leia from the Councilor. Not that she really needed to bother. In the first place, Yan was too much a son of Serenno to do anything to Mace. In the second place, the transport was starting to land, and that was far more important than dealing with Mace Windu in a cheeky mood. His boy was coming home. In just a few more minutes, he would see his boy again, and while Obi-Wan was no doubt injured (or worse), he was home, and there was nothing that could spoil that for him.

It would take a day or so before he realized just how wrong he was about that.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Home. They were almost home. She released a breath, and with it, all of the fear she had been carrying ever since she and Anakin landed on her home planet. She released it into the Force. . .her fear, not the concern which still made it difficult for her to breathe every time she looked at Obi-Wan. They finally had him back, he was safe with the people who loved him, but what Anakin told her about that monstrosity. . .and what Obi-Wan himself had said. I should have died on Geonosis. Gone. . .all gone.

Asajj shivered, remembering the desolation in his voice. What was gone? And why should he have died on Geonosis? That claim alone broke Asajj's heart. That was so unlike Obi-Wan. It annoyed her when she was a teenager, how he never gave up. As she grew and matured, she came to treasure it, even as it irritated her at times. Because she knew that it was one reason she was the Jedi she was now. Yes, Master Dooku had a great deal to do with it. Of course he did. But Obi-Wan never gave up on her, never stopped believing in her, no matter how many times she hurt him with her backsliding.

It was curious, when she stopped to think about it. Really, the two people who hurt him most often. . .namely, herself and Anakin. . . were the most protective of him. Perhaps because they saw the expression in his eyes after they had done or said something. And each of them died a little when they saw that look. The only one who was equally protective was Master Dooku, and if he hurt Obi-Wan, it was long before Asajj or Anakin came into his life.

For Anakin, it began when he was fifteen and began rebelling. It was never that he didn't love Obi-Wan. But like many teenagers in the universe, it was nothing for Anakin to scream, 'I hate you!' at Obi-Wan during an argument. Of course, he was always sorry for it afterward. . .even sorrier when Asajj tore into him. Not that she was much better. She hurt Obi-Wan many times, sometimes physically, especially when she first arrived at the Temple. She had bitten him, punched, kicked, and otherwise attempted to maim her Master's former padawan.

Not because she was angry or jealous of him. No, she hurt him because she was in pain, and her rage was overwhelming. Even then, even after being gently pulled away from her Master's cold body and carried back to the Jedi ship, even then she was still so incredibly angry. She couldn't take it out on the evil monster who murdered her parents and later her Master, so she took it out instead on the gentle young Knight who only wanted to help her.

"And yet, you still forgave me," she whispered to the unconscious man, "you always forgave me. I still can't figure out how you do that, but you do." She stroked his hair tenderly, freezing when she sensed the new presence. It wasn't Anakin. . .he returned long enough to ensure Obi-Wan was safely buckled into his bed before leaving to meditate. . .and it wasn't Xanatos. That left only one person. . .the person Asajj least wanted to see. She asked coldly, "Yes, your Majesty?" She didn't call the woman by name. . .she never had, not since her unmasking as a Jedi Padawan, ten years earlier.

"I came to see how he is doing. My husband and I were both very concerned when Padawan Skywalker brought him on board," was the hesitant answer. Asajj merely hook her head and turned away from Obi-Wan's lax face. Yes, she could bet Padme of Telos was concerned for Obi-Wan! The dark-haired woman bowed her head, hands clasped in front of her, and then looked at Asajj, adding firmly, "I know you blame me for what happened to him, and I don't blame you. But I was worried for him. I still am."

"Who are you trying to convince, Senator? Me? Or yourself?" Asajj fired back. She didn't like this woman. Even when they were both teenagers, and Asajj was posing as a handmaiden to protect her, she hadn't liked her. Growing up as she did on Rattarak, pacifism was as alien to her as. . .well, as the idea of slavery to someone growing up on Coruscant or Naboo. So when Queen Amidala declared that she would condone no path that led to war (after the Trade Federation's blockade of her world, an act of war in and of itself), Asajj, posing as Mire, could only roll her eyes in disgust.

It also made her much happier to see Obi-Wan and Master Jinn. Of course, even as a fifteen year old, she was almost always happy to see Obi-Wan. She barely knew Master Jinn, but that was beside the point. They were part of her family, and she was thrilled to see them. If she could have gotten away with throwing herself into Obi-Wan's arms, she would have done it. However, that would have given her away as a Jedi padawan, and no one was ready for that.

And perhaps she was being a hypocrite, regarding Amidala with such contempt for hiding her true identity by masquerading as a handmaiden, but there was far more to it than that. The former queen said, choosing not to answer Asajj's question, "Anakin has already told me that he will not forgive me. I can understand that, I can appreciate that. Would it make a difference if I told you that Obi-Wan has forgiven me? Something he told me on our journey to Geonosis?"

"Noooooo," Asajj answered, drawing out the word as if she was speaking to a willfully slow child, "because that is Obi-Wan, and he is one of the most forgiving people I have ever met. I, however, am not so forgiving, much less when you hurt someone who means the galaxy to me." The former queen looked away and Asajj added bitterly, "You wound the souls of innocent men, claiming you are only protecting your husband, and yet, you protest when I protect mine. I always knew you were a hypocrite, but really, you shouldn't be in such a hurry to prove me right."

"Hypocrite? I am not the one who pretended to be a simple handmaiden while I was a Jedi padawan!" the senator cried out. Asajj merely smirked at her, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't speak. It wasn't necessary, for only a few moments later, Padme's eyes dropped as she realized what Asajj wasn't saying. She heard the hollowness of her own words, and that part of the subject was dropped. The dark-haired woman, however, wasn't about to give up. She shook her head, murmuring, "I don't understand why you will not accept why I had to speak with the Separatists. I could have ended this stupid, senseless war before it took too many lives."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Senator," Asajj retorted, "and Obi-Wan's condition should be proof of that. You can only negotiate with someone if they're willing to be reasonable. The fact that Nute Gunray tried to have you killed because you stood up to him and the Trade Federation when you were fourteen years old should tell you something. Namely, they aren't willing to be reasonable. And as for your repeated assertion that you could have stopped the war? Please. You aren't nearly as important as you like to think you are. And you're certainly not important enough for Obi-Wan to sacrifice his life for you."

"He is a Jedi, sworn to protect the Republic and her people," Padme reminded her, "and I'm sure your words are not very Jedi-like." Asajj raised her eyebrows questioningly. Oh really? And what made Padme think she knew anything about the way Jedi thought? She was married to a former Jedi, yes, but there was a huge difference between being married to a Jedi and being a Jedi. As she was both a Jedi and married to a Jedi, she knew that better than anyone. On the other hand, she could hardly argue with the other assertion. She really didn't think like a Jedi, like those who were raised at the Temple. She and Anakin were alike in that respect.

Something she pointed out to the other woman, adding, "I am far more than simply a Jedi, Senator. I am a daughter who saw first her parents, then her first Master, killed by the same individual. He was unwilling to negotiate for my husband's release, which is why he is now dead. Perhaps I would have spared him, but he tried to keep us from Obi-Wan. Worse yet, he hurt Obi-Wan, and no one is allowed to do that. Not me. Not Anakin. Not you. And most assuredly not that monster."

"Perhaps if your parents attempted to negotiate, they would now be alive," the senator quietly observed. Asajj's blood ran cold throughout her body, but then, only a second later, it felt as though she had the rivers of flame of Mustafar in her veins. How dare she? How dare this pampered little brat judge Asajj's parents? How dare she? Would she next try to blame Obi-Wan for being beaten and tortured? The blonde Jedi took a step forward, her bright blue eyes blazing with rage. It took all of her self-control to keep from slapping her as hard as she could across her face.

Instead, she hissed, "Remember, Senator. I turned you into chopped bantha meat while I was five months pregnant with my twins. Imagine what I can do now. . .what I will do if you ever say something that stupid again! My parents did not deserve to die. . .my first Master didn't deserve to die. . .and my husband most assuredly doesn't deserve what was done to him. Do you understand me? I am a Jedi, but I can make a Sith look quite pleasant in comparison when it comes to my family. I will never be a Master because of that, but my husband and children are worth it."

She shouldn't say such things, she knew, shouldn't feel such things. She was a Jedi, and should be above allowing her emotions to rule her. But no one spoke of her parents in such a manner. Least of all the likes of Padme Amidala. It seemed the senator realized the responsibility she bore in the argument, for she spoke no further about that. Instead, she asked quietly, "How are your twins? I would imagine it has been difficult, especially for such young children, to understand why their father is not home."

Asajj nearly told her that the babies were none of her concern, but Obi-Wan was right there, even if he was unconscious, and she didn't want to run the risk of waking him and possibly upsetting him with their argument. Instead, she settled for a glare as she responded, "They are well. . .awaiting us at the Temple. In fact, it was Luke who provided us with the clue that allowed us to find his father. He kept having dreams, and it helped us determine where Obi-Wan was being held." She purposely did not mention her daughter. Luke was a powerful child, even at eighteen months of age. Leia. . .there were still many questions about Leia.

"And. . .Leia?" the senator asked. Asajj didn't answer. . .they were preparing to land, and she would soon hold her children again. She missed them so much over the last three days, especially once she saw the graves of her parents and former Master once more. Her Master helped her to bury them. . .and then, Master Dooku and Obi-Wan buried her first Master while she cried herself to sleep on their ship. She wished so much that her parents could have seen her son and daughter, could have met her husband. They would have loved Obi-Wan just as much she did.

"Luke already shows signs of wanting to be a Jedi, like both of his parents before him. Leia's path is unwritten. She will choose for herself, and I will support her no matter what she chooses. Just as long as she doesn't choose politics. Perhaps she will choose to be a negotiator, as her father is. Regardless of what you think of me, Senator, I know there are more ways to help people than to be a warrior. If Leia chooses such a path, as a diplomat and negotiator, I will be just as proud of my daughter," Asajj answered.

"So it is only me you dislike. Is there nothing I can do to erase this animosity between us?" Padme asked softly. Well. Asajj wouldn't go that far. She also disliked Palpatine. For lack of a better phrase, he made her skin crawl and she really didn't like his interest in Anakin. On the other hand, she found it hard to imagine a time when she would regard the former queen with the same affection and regard she had for Bail Organa. There was simply too much between them for her to ever truly regard Padme Amidala as a friend, rather than simply an ally.

"It would take a great deal to do that, Senator. I warned you, and had my warnings ignored too many times. You disregarded what I had to say and too many people whom I love paid the price. I warned you not to trust in the Senate and Palpatine, and look where we are. I warned you about your husband's last days in the Jedi, and you accused my husband of bearing responsibility for what happened to Xanatos. I warned you that Nute Gunray and the other Separatists would just as soon kill you as look at you. . .and my husband was captured after ensuring your safety. Even if my animosity for you eased, I will never trust you. . .you've proven that you cannot be trusted," Asajj replied.

Again, the senator looked away, whispering, "Have you never done something you regretted with every fiber of your being? Have you never been forgiven for that act?" Asajj folded her arms over her chest and eyed the other woman. She committed many acts she regretted. She was forgiven for most of them (and those she wasn't forgiven for, no one knew about). But. . .this woman hurt Obi-Wan too many times.

She finally said quietly, "Indeed I have. But there is such a thing as too many regrets, Senator. Your unwillingness to protect your planet properly nearly resulted in Obi-Wan's death. Gunray and the others blockaded your planet and you weren't willing to fight back until after the return from Tatooine. You spoke out of turn at my wedding, the one day I can truly claim as my own, and actually managed to anger Obi-Wan. Your guilt over your own treatment of your husband in the early days of your marriage resulted in your unfair and unprovoked attack against my husband. And most recently of all, your insistence that Nute Gunray and his allies could be reasoned with nearly led to Obi-Wan's death again. No, Senator Amidala. . .be content with Obi-Wan's forgiveness. You will not have mine and you do not have Anakin's."

Padme was on the verge of speaking, but Xanatos eased the ship on the ground. Once the engines began to slow down, Asajj turned to Obi-Wan, gently unbuckling him. At the same time, Anakin emerged from the room where he had been meditating. His eyes darkened at the sight of the senator, but he said only, "You've unbuckled Master. . .good. Once the engines have stopped, we'll disembark." Asajj nodded and stepped away, allowing Anakin to gently scoop Obi-Wan into his arms once more. The padawan cradled his Master against his chest, nodding to Asajj to go ahead of him.

Asajj stepped around the senator, trusting in Anakin to watch her back and to keep Obi-Wan safe. It wasn't that she thought Senator Amidala would attack either of them, but it was the principle of the thing. As she left the sleeping quarters, she was met by Xanatos of Telos. She saw him only briefly when Anakin carried Obi-Wan onto the Queen of Naboo, and now inclined her head to the former Jedi. He smiled faintly, held his hand out to Padme, and observed to Asajj, "I see my wife is in better condition now than the last time the two of you met."

Both women flushed, but Asajj replied, "I have greater control over my emotions now than I did then. Besides. I was pregnant at the time, and there's nothing more dangerous than a pregnant Jedi dealing with pregnancy hormones and protecting her husband." Anakin snorted behind her, but when she turned to face her 'little brother,' he had buried his face against Obi-Wan's hair. Probably his attempt to keep from laughing. Never mind. She'd get him back later, when he wasn't expecting it.

Besides, Xanatos was trying desperately not to laugh. He chortled as they proceeded toward the shuttle hatch, "A pregnant Jedi protecting her mate. . .no, I can't imagine anything more dangerous than that. Did that little green troll mutter under his breath, something along the lines of, 'kept the no-attachment rule, we should have. Dangerous, a Jedi is. Even more dangerous, a pregnant Jedi,' or did he just remain silent but disapproving?" Anakin couldn't help himself, obviously. . .the snort he did try to suppress instead turned into a full-blown case of the giggles.

"Actually, it was Master Windu who muttered about the dangers of a pregnant Jedi. Master Yan, on the other hand, gleefully observed what the Jedi could do with a whole complement of pregnant Jedi in their early weeks. Obi-Wan punched him in the shoulder and scolded him for joking about putting his wife in danger," Asajj responded, barely containing her own laughter. Even now, nearly three years later, the image of her husband's appalled expression was enough to make her laugh.

And her reminder set Anakin off into another fit of giggles. Around his laughter, he managed to gasp out, "Oh, I don't know what was funnier. . .Master hitting Grandmaster Dooku or the look on my grandmaster's face when he did it. The next thing I knew, Xan, they were squabbling like a pair of crèchelings arguing over a toy. Master Mace was laughing so hard, he actually slid down the wall. . .his legs wouldn't hold him." Asajj glanced over her shoulder as they made their way to the shuttle hatch. Anakin was grinning broadly, his arms tightening around Obi-Wan as he remembered one of the happier times before everything imploded. Maybe it was those memories which lightened Asajj's heart, maybe it was knowing they were back on Coruscant, but she began to feel better about her husband's recovery.

"Mace Windu? Are we talking about the same Master Windu? I know there were a lot of changes in the Order before the mission to Telos, but the idea of Mace Windu sliding down the wall in a fit of laughter. . .that image just does not want to form!" Xanatos exclaimed as the hatch unfolded with a hiss. Asajj couldn't see if he was shaking his head, but she did hear the laughter in his voice. The former Jedi added, almost muttering, "Maybe I should have stayed with the Order. Mace Windu sliding down the wall. . .that would have made up for a lot."

Asajj was on the verge of answering, but she was the first one down the steps. The first one off the shuttle, and the first to see two small children toddling toward them, squealing joyfully, "MOMMY, DADDY!" She dropped to her knees and held out her arms as her twins ran to her. She enveloped Luke and Leia in a fierce embrace, tears running down her face. The toddlers were hugging her with all of the strength in their tiny bodies, but Asajj didn't care. She was home. She was home, Obi-Wan was safe and free, and her babies were in her arms. Asajj covered their faces with kisses before picking them both up and carrying them back to Anakin so he could greet them, and so they could see their father. They were scared. . .Asajj felt their fear through the bonds she shared with them both. . .afraid of what was done to their father. She was afraid, too.

But now that fear was overshadowed by hope. Whatever was done to Obi-Wan, she and their twins could overcome. She had absolute faith in that. More to the point, she had absolute faith in her husband. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the strongest person she knew. His recovery might be long and difficult, but he would prevail. There was no other option. He would prevail. . .and Darth Sidious would rue the moment he chose to take Asajj's husband, Anakin's Master, Luke and Leia's father, and Yan Dooku's padawan captive.

However, for now, Asajj Ventress-Kenobi would just hold her children and thank the Force she was able to return to them. . .and return their father to them.

TBC


	3. Beautiful Dreamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we have Obi-Wan waking up, the reactions of his family to Mace's dreams, and a little bit of background on their relationships with him. . .including a little bit of fluff between Obi-Wan and Asajj.

He groaned softly, pain pounding through his skull and most of his body. What happened to him? He thought in the embrace of the Force, the only pain he could feel was the anguish of watching the galaxy implode again. The last thing he remembered was. . .what? He tried to focus on his last clear memory, but that was harder than he anticipated. Images of Jacen Solo's turn to the Dark Side were intermingled with images of a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and a tender smile.

Entirely too confusing. Focus on the clearer image. Anakin screaming in grief and rage as his grandson fell to the Dark Side, starting the entire horrifying cycle all over again. But the blonde girl returned to the forefront of his mind, smiling. . .and there was such love in that smile. So much love, it could break one's heart. Through the steady ache in his head, he wondered at whom she was smiling. And then he wondered again how his head could be hurting if he was one with the Force. None of this made any sense.

It made even less sense when he opened his eyes and found himself staring at somewhat familiar surroundings. This. . .couldn't be happening. It. . .it looked like the Healer's Ward in the Jedi Temple, where he spent far too much time. However, that wasn't the only strange thing. There was an odd heaviness on his abdomen. No, not even a heaviness. . . His brows knit as he tried to focus on the sensation. No, it was more like. . .more like a pressure. As if that wasn't strange enough, he could feel what seemed to be hair brushing against his hand. He managed to lift his head, just enough to look down toward the source of the sensation. And that provided a second shock (or was it third? He had lost count by now).

What seemed to be a padawan (complete with the braid he remembered from the decades before the fall of the Old Republic) with sandy hair was lying there. But. . . He shook his head, and must have made a noise of some kind, for the head belonging to the padawan came up, his face visible for the first time. . .Anakin? A very sleepy-looking Anakin, whose eyes brightened. He breathed, "Master. . .Master, you're awake!" With those surprising words, the boy straightened up, then threw his arms around the befuddled man in a fierce embrace that drove the air from his lungs.

Now hopelessly confused, Obi-Wan Kenobi wrapped his arms around his apprentice, and blinked at the sight of his smooth skin. What happened? Was he thrown back in time, to before everything went so completely wrong? But no, that didn't make any sense. In the first place, if the Force wanted to do that, it would have sent him back to the beginning, to the palace in Theed. . .and he would have ensured that he died, rather than Master Qui-Gon. In the second place, that assumed the Force would do anything of that nature.

Still, he held onto Anakin, who was chanting, "We never gave up on you, Master, not for a minute! It's been so hard, but Master Yoda and Master Mace refused to let anyone else train me." Master Mace? Obi-Wan felt even more confused. He couldn't remember ever hearing such affection in Anakin's voice when he spoke of the Council member and Master of the Order. And speaking of which. . . What would they do to his padawan when they saw Anakin hugging him like this? Well, yes, this was Anakin, and part of his nature, but. . .

His worries about that were interrupted when one of the Jedi in question entered the room, gently teasing, "Planning to keep your Master all to yourself, Anakin? I thought you promised to tell us as soon as Obi-Wan woke up." Obi-Wan looked from his excited padawan to Mace Windu and back again. Much to Obi-Wan's horror, Anakin stuck his tongue out at Mace. . .and much to his astonishment, the older Jedi laughed heartily, replying, "Save your flirting for the padawans, brat. Obi-Wan, it's good to see your eyes open. We've all been worried about you."

"I. . .thank you. How long. . .how long have I been unconscious?" Obi-Wan asked. And did I hit my head? Maybe that was the better question. Everything was familiar, but so strange at the same time. From Anakin, whose eyes held only love and joy; to Mace, who never really smiled after Qui-Gon died and yet now exuded such warmth. More than that, he was experiencing a very un-Jedi-like feeling: namely, the fear that this was a wonderful dream, and the sick feeling that he knew he would experience when he woke up. Woke up to find himself once more in the Force, watching in horror as everything fell apart yet again.

"We aren't really sure, Master. You've definitely been unconscious for a day or so, ever since we brought you back from Rattarak. But you were missing for six months, so it's anyone's guess how long you've actually been unconscious. On the ship coming back, Asajj did a preliminary exam and discovered that you'd been beaten badly in the early days and weeks of your captivity," Anakin replied, finally releasing Obi-Wan and settling him carefully against the pillows once more. There were so many shocks in Anakin's statements, but one of them in particular stood out to the stunned man.

"Asajj? Asajj Ventress? She's a Jedi?" Obi-Wan choked out. Now he was certain that he was dreaming. Just like Anakin, he failed the young Force-adept, only reaching her as she lay dying. In the Force, she approached him once, sobbing for his forgiveness and embraced him fiercely when he gave it willingly. Was it possible he was being given a second chance to save both Anakin and Asajj? Was the Force truly so merciful that it would give him the chance to make his two greatest failures. . .make things right? It almost seemed like it was too much to ask, and yet, that seemed to be happening.

Mace and Anakin exchanged a look, Anakin looking both worried and confused, but it was Mace who replied gently, "She's been a Jedi Knight for a little under two years, Obi-Wan. She's a Knight, thanks to you and to Yan." Yan? Dooku? Now Obi-Wan felt dizzy. He closed his eyes, willing himself to focus, to concentrate. A gentle hand touched his hair, and Mace said softly, "Anakin, perhaps you should tell Master Dooku and Asajj that Obi-Wan has awakened. I know they'll both want to see him."

"Oh. . .of course! I'm so glad you're awake, Master," Anakin said, impulsively hugging Obi-Wan again. He whispered, "I love you so much, Master, and I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again." Obi-Wan heard that before. . .but not said quite like that. Anakin released him, and then bounced (yes, bounced) out of the room. Obi-Wan closed his eyes again, the thoroughly non-Jedi-like thought of, 'if I'm dreaming, please don't awaken me' once more crossing his mind.

The bed near Obi-Wan's hips creaked and sank, and he opened his eyes once more, to find Mace Windu staring at him compassionately. The older Jedi said softly, "I can't imagine how confused you must be. From what Anakin and Asajj told us, it seems likely you were given mind-altering drugs. Anakin also mentioned that a device of some kind was attached to your head, likely interfering with your brain waves." Interfering with his brain waves? Obi-Wan shuddered, resisting the temptation to reach for that possibility, and allow himself to believe this was actually happening.

"Is any of this real? Is the Jedi Temple still standing? Are you alive? Is Anakin still Anakin?" Obi-Wan rasped out, all but begging the Korun Master for. . . something. Did he want reassurance, or did he want to believe this was a wonderful dream? It couldn't be that easy, not after all the mistakes he made. Not after how badly he failed Anakin, Asajj, the Jedi, Padme. . .everyone. He was ashamed of how he was struggling to maintain his control, his composure, but right now, that seemed out of his hands. Especially when Mace was staring at him with such compassion.

"Qui-Gon Jinn used to say that one's focus determined his or her reality. That always seemed too easy to me, and I know that Yan has always felt the same way. Obi-Wan, I think I know what frightens you, but unfortunately, I cannot give you the answer. Because no matter what I say, until you're ready to believe it, all the assurances in the universe will not ease your mind. I can answer your questions: yes, the Temple is still standing, with thousands of escape routes, if things go badly. Yes, I am very much alive," Mace replied, reaching out to take Obi-Wan's hand, his warm fingers curling around Obi-Wan's cold skin. He felt real. . .so real. So alive.

A memory seemed to flit through the young man's mind, of Mace cradling him protectively, his arms warm and secure, but the memory vanished before he could examine it further. And in any case, Mace wasn't finished. The Master continued, still holding Obi-Wan's hand, "And above all, yes. . .Anakin is still Anakin. Is there a chance he might become a Sith? Of course. We all have that chance, we all have that capacity. But I don't think it's going to happen. At least, not any more. And that's really what you want to know, I think. . .much to the relief of us all."

Obi-Wan smiled weakly at that statement, and Mace smiled with him, adding, "I can tell you're still exhausted, so get some sleep. Yan and Asajj will want to see you, but you know they'll insist that you sleep. Someone will be here to watch over you and guard your dreams." Obi-Wan was on the verge of protesting, of telling Mace that he needed to stay awake, but the jaw-cracking yawn immediately proved that to be a lie. Mace just grinned, patting his thigh, and said, "Sleep now. There will be time for answers later." He hadn't even finished his sentence before Obi-Wan's eyes slid shut and sweet sleep claimed him once more.

SWSWSWSWSW

Long after the young Knight drifted off to sleep, Mace remained at his side, watching over him. . .at least until Anakin returned with Asajj and Yan. Obi-Wan's questions weighed on his mind, and it occurred to him that his dream was caused by what was happening to his friend. But. . .no. No, the Force allowed him to see what Obi-Wan saw, but one was not caused by the other directly. Rather, he suspected, he was allowed to see it to help his friend when he was returned to them and regained consciousness.

In the twenty-four hours since Anakin and Asajj returned on the Queen of Naboo, there had been meetings and debriefings galore as Anakin and Asajj repeated their story for the allies of the Jedi. Not just Xanatos, who had more than a slight interest in the operation, but also for the young Senator from Chandrila, Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa from Alderaan. And while they handled the Senate and their allies, Yan and Bant took care of Obi-Wan in obvious and not so obvious ways. . .such as exercising his lax muscles, trimming his hair and beard, cleaning him up in whatever ways they could.

Before he allowed Bail and Mon to speak with the two young Jedi, Mace briefed the two Senators on his own dream. It was important for them to know these things, in order to understand what would come next. While the pair were not Jedi, they respected the connection all Force-sensitives had. Bail was especially horrified at the prospect facing Alderaan if even the first Death Star was built, and swore to do what he could to avert it. The galaxy was already so different from that future. . .in part because of the changes in the Jedi Order, but also because Xanatos married the young queen of Naboo.

Mace still didn't know who came up with the idea of joining the planets of Telos and Naboo through marriage. The Jedi Order stayed out of such politicking, though there were Jedi who strongly agreed with the offer Xanatos made. . .Asajj Ventress among them. The padawan made no secret of her contempt for Queen Amidala, based on her assertion that she would agree to no course that would lead them to war. . .never mind that they already were at war. Xanatos of Telos was willing to fight for Telos and for Naboo, even if the latter planet wasn't willing to fight for itself.

It was an excellent solution, though not without difficulties. . .especially when the governor's bride attacked Obi-Wan Kenobi for Xan's departure from the Order. Mace knew the Council did poorly by Xanatos, but that was the fault of the Council. . .no one else. An infuriated Yan Dooku responded with a blistering dissertation on how Padme Amidala failed her people as a queen. Not surprisingly, it left her in tears. Also not surprisingly, Yan really was unconcerned with her reaction. As he bitterly informed Xanatos when the young governor protested, no one spoke that way of his padawan, much less the likes of Padme Amidala.

His padawan. In Mace's dreams, Obi-Wan was Yan Dooku's grandpadawan, the padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, and became a much different Obi-Wan. For that matter, Mace was much different. Nearly everything was different. . .and not in a good way. Once more, he mentally thanked whatever nudge demanded that he listen to the Force, thirty-five years earlier. In his mind's eye, he could see himself at thirteen, cradling a six-month-old baby boy to his chest as he carried him from the crèche to the Healer's Wing. He was alone (except for the infant he carried) and utterly terrified (what if he got in trouble? Master would be so disappointed in him), but his legs continued to move.

Just one simple action. . .carrying a little baby to a badly injured Master who had grown despondent. And it completely transformed the Order. How incredible, that an infant could change the Order. Simply by being. The change didn't come quickly. . .depending on your perspective. For the people living through the change, it happened very slowly. To someone such as Master Yoda, who was nearly nine hundred years old, it was breathtakingly fast. The Force was demanding that the Jedi change and adapt, and they did. . .because of two children.

It never occurred to Mace to be proud of his part in the transformation. He simply did what the Force told him to do. He was terrified of the consequences, but he released his fear into the Force and did as he was told. There were unexpected consequences (such as the twins who would probably accompany their mother and 'Uncle Ani' into their father's room), but all in all, it was worth it. Every moment of quaking with terror and trying to comfort the frightened child who understood none of what was happening. . .it was all worth it. And he knew most Jedi would agree with him. Perhaps not all, such as the self-called Dark Woman, but most of them.

Including the trio that burst into the room only seconds later. Mace held his finger to his lips to silence them, and tried not to smile at the abject disappointment on Anakin's face when he realized Obi-Wan was asleep. But that was the key. . .he was asleep, rather than unconscious. Asajj looked only slightly disappointed, placing Luke in Yan's arms as she approached the bed. She reached her hand out to him, as if she meant to touch his face or hair, but pulled it back when Mace said softly, "Before any of you wake him up, there's something you need to know."

"None of us are going to wake him, Mace. He needs to rest in order to heal. But tell us what we need to know," Yan said quietly. That would not be as easy as it sounded. How, exactly, did he tell them about what he had seen. . .what Obi-Wan had seen? Yan, showing the perceptiveness that sometimes worried non-Jedi (and even certain Jedi themselves, on occasion), asked, "This has something to do with your question, Mace. . . does it not? The question you asked when the children returned, your concern that Obi-Wan had the support he needed while he was raising Anakin."

"Yes," Mace said simply. That provided the lead-in he needed, and quickly outlined his dream. It took but a few minutes, and once he finished, Asajj and Anakin both were as pale as Asajj was when she first arrived at the Temple, while a muscle was jumping in Yan's jaw. Mace concluded, "Understandably, he's quite confused. My dream. . .either he dreamed the same thing, or something even worse. He may actually believe that's real. I tell you this because we must be careful with him."

"We can't overwhelm him. . .we have him back, but he's still been taken from us," Asajj said quietly, bitterly. It surprised Mace not at all that she realized so quickly what this meant. She shook her head, muttering, "When I get my hands on Sidious, he'll wish that his death was as quick as Qui-Gon Jinn's." Mace raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. She had said 'quick,' not 'painless,' and she was correct. Qui-Gon's death was not instantaneous, but he did not linger for days. . .unlike some Jedi killed in this war.

"Take a number, sister dear," Anakin growled. Obi-Wan moaned in his sleep, and all four conscious Jedi turned to him anxiously. He was shaking, obviously in the throes of a terrible nightmare. Contrite, Anakin sank to his knees beside his trembling master and put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, whispering, "Shhh. . .it's all right, Master, it's all right. I'm sorry. . .I didn't mean to upset you. Shhh. . .just rest." He continued to whisper soothing nonsense and eventually, Obi-Wan's breathing began to even out once more. Long after he relaxed, however, Anakin's hand remained on his Master's shoulder. He looked at the other Jedi, anguish clear in his eyes, but his voice remained steady, gentle even, as he stated, "Whoever Sidious is. . .when we find him, and we will find him ... there will be a reckoning. That I promise you."

SWSWSWSWSWSW

He sat at his Master's bedside, gripping his shoulder. . .partly to comfort Obi-Wan, and partly to reassure himself that Obi-Wan was truly there, and truly all right. The last six months of his life was among the worst he could remember. And while Asajj was correct when she said that Obi-wan wasn't entirely back, at least he was here, in the Jedi Temple, where they could take care of him. Anakin, his grandmaster, and Asajj could protect him here, with help from Master Mace and others, like Bant.

Asajj and his grandmaster left the room, comforting the twins, who had been looking forward to hugging their father within an inch of his life. Anakin remained behind, kneeling beside his master's bed. As he did in those early days, when so many Jedi (who should have known better!) believed his master was lost to them forever, Anakin comforted himself by thinking about his first meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi, more than ten years earlier. And, as ever, the memory made him smile.

He was in Watto's shop when the strangers entered. . .two men and a young girl, along with a creature nine year old Anakin had never seen before. One man, he realized, was older. . .older than Anakin's mom, the boy decided, while the other was much younger. Maybe twenty-five standard years old, though it was hard to tell with the beard he wore. His eyes came to rest on Anakin, and the young man smiled. He couldn't help himself. . .he smiled back. Even before he noticed the lightsaber each man wore, the young slave could sense something. . .different. . .about the men.

He soon learned that the two men were named 'Qui-Gon Jinn' and 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' and the beautiful girl's name was Padme. Anakin was immediately enchanted with her, asking her if she was an angel. She smiled, observing that he was a funny little boy. Later, she was stunned to discover that he was a slave. Anakin had become angry and fired back, 'My name is Anakin and I'm a person!' The girl started to stammer out an apology, but the young Jedi put his hand on her shoulder, quietly stating, 'She was not making a judgment about you, child. . .she was merely shocked that such a barbaric practice still exists. You should apologize to her.' And from that moment on, Anakin Skywalker's future was written. He was meant to meet this man, in particular. . . perhaps all four of them, including Jar Jar Binks.

When Watto wouldn't sell the necessary parts to the Jedi, Anakin came up with a new plan. . .he would race in the Boonta Eve Classic, and if he won, his prize money would pay for the parts. It was a plan to which Master Jinn agreed. . .a plan neither Padme nor Obi-Wan liked. Padme feared it was too dangerous, and Obi-Wan. . . Anakin was supposed to be asleep, but heard Obi-Wan telling his mother that the future was cloudy and he had reservations about a nine year old child doing this. Anakin's mother listened to the young Jedi's concerns and thanked him for caring for his welfare. But they were slaves, and had the freedom to choose precious few things in their lives. Anakin had chosen to do this, and he would see it done. Obi-Wan was silent for several moments, before finally answering quietly, 'Then I will protect him to the best of my ability.'

And that was exactly what he did, over the next several days. Qui-Gon was fascinated with what he saw as Anakin's incredible power. . .but Obi-Wan simply sat quietly beside him, handing him whatever tools he needed for his speeder or shielding him with his own body if something went wrong. Most of the time he listened, but if Anakin asked him, the young knight would tell him about the Jedi Temple, where he grew up. He was actually a 'brother' to Master Jinn, though he was more than thirty years younger. Master Yan Dooku, Obi-Wan's Jedi Master, was also Master Jinn's master. Anakin asked what that meant, if it was the same thing as a slave's master. Obi-Wan answered it was more like a teacher or a father. And here, Obi-Wan smiled softly.

Master Dooku now had a new padawan, a fifteen year old girl named Asajj. That was only six years older than Anakin was, something he eagerly shared with his new friend. Obi-Wan had smiled and nodded, his smile growing all the more mysterious when Anakin told him that he hoped he would meet Asajj. That led to more stories, about when Obi-Wan and his master first met Asajj, two years earlier. Obi-Wan had just been knighted when he accompanied Master Dooku to a planet called Rattarak, which was where Asajj was born and where she grew up. He spoke very little about the mission itself, only of finding a heartbroken thirteen year old girl whom he carried onto the ship.

In the present, Anakin said softly, his hand still on Obi-Wan's shoulder, "You know, that's when I knew who you really were, Master. Oh, I knew you were a Jedi, but I almost wanted to cry, hearing the compassion in your voice when you told me about Asajj. I could hear it. . .how much you hurt for her. I could hear the affection in your voice, too. I could hear how much you cared for her. Imagine my surprise when I met Asajj herself, and realized that you had no idea that she was in love with you! I mean, c'mon, Master! I could tell, and I was nine!"

He heard Mace Windu's soft chuckle behind him and Anakin smiled briefly. However, he continued, "It's odd, but even though it was Master Jinn who actually got me off Tatooine, there was never any doubt in my mind. If I had to have another master, this time a Jedi master, then you were the only one I wanted. Even as the Council tested me, and I was afraid I wouldn't be taken into the Jedi Order, I could feel you waiting in the shadows, and I could feel your warmth. I was so surprised when I found out that Master Jinn wanted to be my master. I was grateful to him, of course, but. . ."

But the nine year old Anakin found a sanctuary in the quiet, gentle but firm young knight. He realized very quickly that if Obi-Wan gave him instructions, they were to be obeyed. Before he was officially made Obi-Wan's padawan, there was but one time when Anakin didn't follow the instructions he was given. And the look of disappointment in Obi-Wan's eyes hurt him far more than any beating ever had.

Something he told his master now, murmuring, "That was the one thing that never failed to knock me down a few pegs, that 'I really expected better of you, Anakin.' Everyone thought I was the Chosen One, some mystical being, but you treated me no differently than any other child. You were careful with me, because I was a slave, but. . . I have never ever wanted another teacher. You need to know that, Master. I don't know about this other reality you saw, but you gotta know. . .if I ever broke your heart like that, I think I would die inside." As he spoke, another memory surfaced. . .his second time in the Jedi Council Chambers, the second time he had seen Mace Windu and Master Yoda.

He stood in the middle of the Jedi High Council, more than a little nervous. . .yet excited too, as Master Yoda announced in his mangled syntax that Anakin would be trained. Master Jinn asked if he would train the boy. Anakin had looked up, startled and a little worried. Master Jinn was nice and all, but he wanted Obi-Wan to be his master! The dark Master, who seemed so scary at first, responded, "No. Obi-Wan will be the boy's Master. It's obvious that a bond has been created between the two. . .and we will not deny the will of the Force."

Master Jinn blanched, repeating, "Obi-Wan? But he's just a child himself! Anakin would do far better with another, more seasoned Master. He. .." Mace Windu merely leveled that dark gaze upon him, and Anakin swallowed hard. Obi-Wan's gentle grasp on his shoulders tightened just a bit. . .and Anakin sensed through their fledgling bond that Obi-Wan was trying to reassure him. The youngster wasn't afraid for himself. It was more a case of being afraid for Master Jinn. Anakin wanted Obi-Wan as his Master, but that didn't mean he wanted Master Jinn to get into trouble.

The Councilor replied quietly, "He would do well with someone who sees him not as a prophecy come to life, but as a human child with terrible scars. And as I said, he has formed a bond with Obi-Wan. Yes, Knight Kenobi is very young, but so was your Master when he took you as his own padawan learner. But that may wait until the completion of your mission. Anakin, I hope you can forgive me. . .under normal circumstances, a child of your age would remain at the Temple. But the Force is quite clear. . .you are to accompany Knight Kenobi and Master Jinn to Naboo. When you return to Coruscant, you will become Knight Kenobi's padawan officially. In the meantime, I want you to listen to him very carefully. Do exactly what he tells you to do." Anakin nodded, awed by the man, and Mace Windu smiled at him gently, adding, "After you come back, you will meet your grandmaster. Go now. Until it's time to leave for Naboo, you should at least meet the other children of the Order."

"And that's what I did. I didn't realize until much later that you had already realized that Padme and Queen Amidala were one and the same. You know, I still don't know if you figured it out or if Asajj told you. I suppose it doesn't matter. I was sad when I found out that Master Jinn was dead, but I was really scared when they told me that you were hurt. I thought I would lose you before our time together really started. Then I became a teenager and something of a brat, and every time I would start to lose sight of what you meant to me, to us, we came close to losing you. I promise, Master. I won't let anything happen to you. . .ever again. So you just rest. . .we'll take care of everything," Anakin said softly in the present. He squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder again, rose to his feet to kiss his Master's forehead lightly, then left the room. He had a lot to think about. . .and there was no doubt in his mind that Master Mace would look after Master Obi-Wan.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

She had gone to her favorite place to think after the twins were asleep in their respective beds, with Master Dooku watching over them both. Of course, for Asajj, 'thinking' also involved kicks, punches, and anything else that would have inflicted serious pain on a sentient being. However, right now, she truly wanted to destroy something, so the training salle it was. She set it as high as she could do so safely, then muttered, "You want to destroy my husband, Sidious? Then you'll have to come through me!"

With those words, Asajj began her practice. She had done it so many times, she probably could have done it without thinking, but that was why she programmed the droids to the minimum safety rating. She didn't want to do it without thinking, she wanted to be aware of the danger. As ever, Asajj danced along the edge of a knife, both reckless and careful. She needed this. . .but she couldn't afford to be too reckless. Not with an injured husband and two small children. At the forefront of her mind, always, were her twins. From the moment Luke, and then Leia, were placed in her arms eighteen months earlier, Asajj's world shifted. It was the most clichéd thing she ever heard, but it was true. When she became a mother, her life changed. . .she changed. The enraged, nearly feral child whom Obi-Wan and Master Dooku rescued years earlier gave way to a venomously protective woman. There was .absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for her twins. And that was why she had to go to Rattarak with Anakin.

She had to bring their father home to them, and. . .and she had to face her demons, as she did when she killed the monster who caused her such grief. He recognized her, strangely enough. . .twelve years older, a grown woman instead of a child. . .and he had taunted her, first with the murders of her parents, then with the brutal murder of her first Master, then finally with a rather graphic description of the beatings he inflicted upon her husband. It was how she knew to check Obi-Wan for old injuries.

Yet, despite her fury toward this animal for what he had done to the people whom she loved, Asajj hadn't killed him in anger or in hate. She couldn't afford to be that person any more. Her children deserved better from her than that. Instead, she killed him because he impeded their rescue of Obi-Wan, and to ensure he could never hurt another living being. . .for any reason. Looking back now, Asajj realized she felt no satisfaction with the kill. Only exhaustion and a relief that he could never lay a hand on Obi-Wan, or any other woman's husband again.

Yet, the mental and emotional damage to Obi-Wan remained to be seen, and that was what worried Asajj. She thought again about what Mace Windu told her about what he saw in his dream, and she shuddered. The galaxy that the Korun Master believed Obi-Wan had seen chilled her blood: she herself a near-Sith, driven to near-madness by the murders of her parents and her first Master, and no one there to catch her; Master Dooku unhinged by grief and rage over the loss of his former padawan; Anakin poisoned against those who loved him by Sidious and spending the rest of his life in that black monstrosity (on the other hand, the fact that he married Padme Amidala made her doubt Anakin's judgment. She wouldn't touch the fact that they would have been Luke and Leia's parents. That simply didn't bear thinking about).

She had the feeling that there was a great deal Mace didn't tell them, for whatever reason. There was a haunted look in his eyes when he told them about his dreams, something that went beyond the massacre of the Jedi. No. . .because he didn't tell them who Sidious was in those dreams, that twisted representation of their own reality. And that, in turn, led her to the idea that Mace believed Sidious was the same person in the real universe. He would tell Master Yoda first, before he told her, Master Dooku, or Anakin. . .because he would figure, quite rightly, that she and the other two would find him and kill Sidious. Which meant, Mace was up to something. Fine. Asajj was willing to trust Mace. That didn't help her. . .not with her fear for her husband's safety or with the recovery of his memory. Over the next few weeks, she would have to be careful. With a soft sigh, Asajj extinguished her lightsaber, running her hand through sweat-soaked blonde hair.

She had a sudden clear image in her mind, a memory from before Obi-Wan was taken from them. It was the night of the twins' first birthday, and the excited children were finally asleep in their bed. Anakin collapsed into his own bed hours earlier, utterly exhausted by playing 'flying baby' with both twins and too many other games to imagine. Asajj sat in front of her mirror, removing each of the braids in her long blonde hair, while Obi-Wan reclined in their bed. He lay on his side, head propped up with one hand, elbow resting on the mattress. And he was smiling.

She loved his smile. Always had. Even when she first arrived at the Temple, even when she would fly into uncontrollable rages, she loved his smile. Many would have scoffed if she repeated such a sentiment to them, but Obi-Wan's smile made her feel safe. Warm. Protected. Safe. It was one reason she accepted the tentative offer of friendship from Bant Eerin. Because Obi-Wan always smiled when he saw the two of them together, and that was reason enough for Asajj to spend time with the Mon Calamari healer. At least at first. . .later, it was because she genuinely liked Bant.

As she finished unbraiding her hair, then began brushing out the long blonde waves, Obi-Wan shifted to his back, one arm still tucked behind his head. . .but his eyes never left Asajj. She felt a thrill run through her. When she became pregnant with the twins, she found herself weeping for no good reason. It became worse as her body began to change. Asajj feared Obi-Wan would no longer find her attractive as her waist expanded. She should have had more faith in him. To him, she was always beautiful. . .even when she was half-asleep, nursing one or both of the twins.

Strange. She loved him so much, and yet was so terribly insecure in his love for her. At one point during her pregnancy, driven by hormones and her awful insecurity, Asajj lashed out at Obi-Wan, accusing him of looking too long at a woman, a Jedi, at someone who still had her figure. Many months later, Asajj closed her eyes in shame, remembering how badly she hurt him with that accusation. He hadn't needed to say anything. The pain in his eyes shattered her heart, and she threw herself into his arms, begging his forgiveness. He always gave it, of course. Always. Even when she didn't deserve it. Especially when she didn't deserve it.

Asajj left her mirror and returned to the bed, reaching out to caress his silky hair. He merely smiled up at her, driving that shame and guilt further into her heart. He trusted her. For such a long time, he fought against his growing feelings for her, fearing that they were inappropriate because she was so much younger (a grand total of ten years, how terrible) than he was and then because she was his sister for all intents and purposes. And yet she, who loved him for so very long. . .trusted him less. And that never failed to drive a vibroblade into her heart. She leaned forward and kissed him very softly on the lips, running both hands through his hair. He moaned against her lips and Asajj sat down on the bed, then swung one knee to the other side of his hips so that she straddled him. She slid both hands through his hair, stroking it back from his forehead as she kissed him again. Obi-Wan's arms went around her waist, pulling her closer to him. . .

Six months later, Asajj opened her eyes once more, not surprised at all to find tears sliding down her face. A glance at her chronometer told her that she had been in here for more than an hour. She realized one other thing. She wanted her husband. Yes, she knew that he would likely not recognize her as his wife, but that didn't matter. She wanted to be with her husband right now. And she knew that Anakin would have no problem sharing his time with Obi-Wan with her.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

The final member of the triumvirate was sitting in Obi-Wan and Asajj Kenobi's quarters, the twins nestled against his chest. They woke up earlier in tears, and Yan Dooku sensed that his former padawan (the mother of the twins) was working out her frustration and anger in the training salles. Which was good. It kept her from leaving some oily diplomat in a world of hurt if (when) he put his hands/tentacles/whatever in a place where they didn't belong. That had been known to happen, and usually, the Jedi managed to avoid too much trouble because the same diplomat had been pawing other women all night long. . .so they were more than willing to back up Asajj. The fact that it was a Jedi who finally put Ambassador Whoever in his place made it all the sweeter.

The less pleasant aspect, of course, was that Luke and Leia woke up in tears. They were already miserable because of the muted bond with their father. They really needed their mother right now. . .but Asajj had to get her own rage under control before she could be the mother they needed her to be. Thus, Yan had one twin in each arm. . .but truthfully, he gained as much comfort from the contact as they did. Right now, they were snuffling against his chest as he rubbed their backs soothingly.

He was denied this chance with his own child. In fact, when a blushing Obi-Wan and a radiant Asajj told him about her pregnancy with the twins, that was the second thing he thought, after embracing the pair joyfully. His padawans were giving him yet another gift, the chance to enjoy even the less attractive aspects of parenthood. It was one thing he always regretted. Yes, changing diapers could be unpleasant (to say the least), but Yan also enjoyed the potential it gave him for blackmail down the road. On the other hand, such situations had a nasty tendency to backfire.

As he found out himself the hard way, repeatedly over the last twenty-plus years, since taking Obi-Wan as his padawan. Yan sighed quietly, thinking of those situations. He swore to himself, countless times over the last six months, that he would avoid a situation that resulted in Obi-Wan's embarrassment, humiliation, or pain. Strong words, and sentiments he expressed in the past, but he meant to keep his word this time. Anakin felt guilty about the times he screamed, 'I HATE YOU' at his Master for this reason or that, Asajj felt guilty for the times when she lashed out at him. . .and Yan had his own guilt to shoulder. The only innocents were the children in his arms.

Yan kissed the tops of the twins' heads. Obi-Wan had returned to them. . .not completely whole, perhaps, but he was here. He had awakened. He had no memory of his relationships with Yan or Asajj, and a twisted memory of his relationship with Anakin. Yan whispered to the miserable twins, "Even if he never remembers everything, my little ones, we'll create new memories for him. Perhaps this is a good thing. There are so many memories I wish he didn't have."

One such memory came from the early days of his apprenticeship to Yan. . .in fact, the morning after the Council blessed the bond between Master and Padawan, giving man's approval to what the Force had chosen. His relationship to his new padawan was different than those he shared with padawans and students in the past. He was more affectionate with Obi-Wan, over the bond and in person. He told himself he was turning into a maudlin old man, but he discovered that he enjoyed the warmth that spread through him when Obi-Wan flashed his smile, after Yan squeezed his shoulder or ran his hand over the bristles of his padawan haircut. Not surprisingly, his relationship with his new padawan caused more than a few problems.

His bond with Qui-Gon had been severed at the younger man's Knighting, and whatever warm feelings remained between them were shattered when Yan took Obi-Wan as his padawan. Yan hadn't known that Qui-Gon wanted Obi-Wan as his own apprentice. In truth, since the full story about Telos emerged, his former padawan had been on a probation with the Council, which meant he wasn't allowed to take another apprentice. That didn't stop Qui-Gon from confronting him as soon as he and Obi-Wan stepped out of their apartment on their first full day together.

The Force warned him that something approached. . .however, he never would have guessed that Qui-Gon would be it. Or that he would confront him in front of his twelve year old apprentice. As soon as he saw the fury in the younger man's eyes, Yan swept Obi-Wan behind him protectively, shielding him despite Obi-Wan's struggles. Qui-Gon railed, heedless of the stares they were attracting in the hall, "You took him from me! He could have saved me, and you took him from me!"

"He is a twelve year old boy, Qui-Gon. . .it's the responsibility of a master to protect and teach his padawan, not to be saved by him," Yan replied quietly, and felt Obi-Wan trembling through the bond. Angling his body just so, Yan put a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders and drew him close to his body protectively. His padawan responded by wrapping his arms around Yan's waist, peering up at the man who had wished to be his Master. Yan added, "The Force chose him for me, and me for him. I raised you to listen to the Force, padawan, and while I am sorry that you were disappointed, you must let go."

He would have said more, but Mace Windu appeared at that moment. . .supposed to speak with Obi-Wan about his new classes, but Yan would remain eternally convinced that the young Councilor sensed something, and wished to prevent the confrontation from becoming worse. In some respects, it was already too late. . .it was too late the moment Yan put a protective arm around his padawan, showing Obi-Wan more affection than he ever showed Qui-Gon; and it was too late the moment Yan surrendered to the will of the Force and took Obi-Wan as his padawan.

His relationship with Qui-Gon never truly recovered, though his first padawan was civil enough when he asked for Obi-Wan as his partner on the Naboo mission. It wasn't actually necessary, as Obi-Wan was a Knight and the Council had given the mission to him and to Qui-Gon. However, it was Qui-Gon's way of making peace with Yan. The older Master hadn't really wanted Obi-Wan to go. . .he was experiencing one of the young man's infamous 'bad feelings' about the entire mission. However, Mace reminded him that Asajj was undercover on Naboo, trapped there by the Trade Federation. At that point, Yan gave his blessing and told both of his former padawans to be careful.

Less than a week later, he was informed that Qui-Gon was dead. . .Obi-Wan was badly injured. . .Asajj was fine, but worried sick about Obi-Wan's condition. Yan really wasn't told much about how Qui-Gon died or how Obi-Wan was injured. When the pair left the second time for Naboo, Anakin in tow, Yan was still contagious, but Obi-Wan informed him that he would have a grandpadawan before the week was out. With Qui-Gon's death and Obi-Wan's condition, Mace believed Yan should meet Anakin. Obi-Wan would need him, and so would Anakin. And Asajj was beside herself. . .according to Obi-Wan, when he was strong enough to stay awake for more than a few minutes, Qui-Gon's death brought memories back for Yan's padawan, memories of her first Master's death. It would take some time before Asajj could bear to let Obi-Wan out of her sight for more than a week, and the same amount of time before she could bear to let Yan out of her sight for more than an hour if they weren't on a mission.

The beeping of his comlink drew Yan's attention back to the present. Unwilling to move with the twins in his arms, Yan used the Force to draw the comlink to him. The call was coming from Mace. . .Obi-Wan was waking up, and Mace thought it would be a good idea if Yan was there to greet him this time. There was a brief pause, then Mace added, "I think it would be for the best if you told Obi-Wan personally that you're his Master. . .former Master." Yan couldn't help frowning, and though Mace couldn't see him, there was a very good reason he was a Council member. The younger man added, "Remember, nothing is as he remembers it."

Now he understood and told his friend, "I'll be there in five minutes. . .Asajj is still in the training salle and Anakin's probably joined her by now. I hope you don't mind watching the twins." He grinned at the snort that answered him. As Anakin might say, 'yeah, right.' Mace adored both children and the adoration was completely mutual. It was rather disconcerting to see the Councilor usually described as 'dour' making eyes and generally acting silly for a pair of toddlers. . .but it was something he saw on a regular basis. The link was broken and he told the now-wide awake twins, "Shall we go see your father, my little ones? I think we shall!"

TBC


	4. Ask the Questions, Find the Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we start learning answers to certain questions. . .while new questions are raised. And the first of the Mandalorians make their appearance, two individuals no one would have expected.

He made his way down the steps of the dungeon, almost whistling at the damage caused by just two Jedi. While the man had little to no love for the Jedi, he had even less for the dead man now lying at his feet. In the early weeks of the Jedi's captivity, there were many times when the living man found himself restraining the young man while the dead outlaw beat him, something that still made him ill. There was no honor in restraining an opponent. Fighting was one thing, but beatings such as the ones he witnessed were quite another.

In addition, the Jedi protected his son. . .for reasons he still didn't know, still didn't understand. What he did understand was that the actions made him indebted to the Jedi, something he didn't like at all. But there was nothing for it. He paid his debts. And speaking of his son. . .the boy was already inside the room where the Jedi was kept for those last several months. He shook his head. . .the boy was just like his mother, always curious. He was grateful that it hadn't gotten them both killed yet.

"Dad, come look at this!" the boy called. Again, the man shook his head, but this time, an affectionate smile touched his lips. The boy was insatiably curious, but he couldn't imagine his life without him. He entered the room cautiously, releasing a small breath of relief. As he hoped, the Jedi no longer lay on the slab, unconscious and tortured by visions only he could see. Once more, he shuddered. He should have never taken this job. . .it was a bad business, from start to finish.

"Obi-Wan got away safely! Look at these burns, the Jedi must have come for him, Dad!" the boy exclaimed, almost chattering with excitement. The hard man allowed himself the luxury of ruffling his son's hair before he began examining the burns that drew the boy's attention. Yes, they did come from a lightsaber. . .of that, there was no doubt. Taken by itself, he would have been cautious in assuming the Jedi came for their missing Knight, but add to that the very dead man outside, he was sure his son was right.

"Looks that way, son. All right. I want you to get back to the ship. . .I'll be along, just as soon as I reprogram the computer. If Sidious comes back, there's a chance he'll realize we sent that distress signal to the Jedi. . .and if that happens, he'll kill us both," the man warned. The boy nodded, looking worried, but did as he was instructed. The father turned back to the console. Less than a week earlier, he stood here and sent out a distress signal, boosted by the power of his own ship. Now, he had to make sure that signal never reached the attention of Sidious, assuming it wasn't too late.

It was possible that it was too late, but he didn't think so. If it was too late, then the young Jedi who had been tortured and beaten here, who shielded an unknown young boy with his own body and showed him such kindness. . .would now be dead. If Sidious knew about the distress call, his first priority would have been to kill the Jedi. . .and the second, to kill those who betrayed him. The dark-haired man sent that distress signal because as much as he despised the Jedi, he despised his former partner even more. . .and far more than that, he despised being used. Sidious was using him and his son, he was sure of it. Perhaps even meant for them both to die at the end of this mess, once he no longer had use for them.

The process of erasing the logs took no more than five minutes, but he wanted to make sure the job was thorough. He liked being thorough, it was part of what made him so good at his job. Then again, maybe it was time for him to get out of this business, make a new life for himself. And again, he murmured, "A bad business, this was, from start to finish. I should have never gotten involved in this, should have never let my boy near that Jedi." But he had, and he did, and now he had to live with the consequences. However, there was still the promise of damage control.

As the last of the logs were revealed, and he was certain they wouldn't betray him, he prepared to leave. It was so odd, to both despise and owe someone. The Jedi was still a child when the dark-haired man's people were all but wiped out. . .just a few years older than his own boy. This Jedi, who shielded his son with his own body, and received several broken ribs and internal bruising because of his compassion. At that point, he should have killed the outlaw himself, then taken himself, his son, and Jedi far away from this place. Or just killed the Jedi himself. It occurred to him more than once, but he couldn't do that to his son. Not after the Jedi was hurt so badly while protecting the boy. His son inherited his mother's curiosity, and her empathy. . . two very bad attributes in their line of work.

But it was that curiosity and that empathy which saved his son, at the same time. It was that curiosity and that empathy which led him to reach out to the Jedi. . .who in turn risked his life to save a ten year old boy he didn't know. And that was why he hadn't killed the Jedi. . .because he was the father of twins. While he was trying to provide for his son, the Jedi was trying to make the galaxy safer for his twins. That, he knew, was why the Jedi protected his son from that beating after the outlaw caught his boy trying to sneak food to the Jedi. Maybe he even wanted to make up for his Master's part in the Battle of Galidraan. But that was all speculation, and he was just a simple bounty hunter, trying to make his way in the galaxy, for himself and for his son.

Jango Fett raised his blaster, and fired a single shot into the machine that tortured an innocent man. Had he and Obi-Wan Kenobi met under different circumstances, they might have killed each other. But because Sidious wanted Kenobi's apprentice alone and vulnerable, to facilitate the young man's fall, Jango instead found himself saving the Jedi's life. But his debt to him wasn't yet paid. For now, however, he had to return to the ship. . .Boba would be worried about him.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

It had been Asajj's original plan to return to her quarters, shower, and then head to her husband's room in the Healer's Wing. However, she didn't even get halfway to her quarters before her brother intercepted her, grabbed her closest wrist, and almost literally dragged her back to the training salles. Not a word was said, but Asajj understood anyhow. Anakin's facial expression made words and explanations totally unnecessary. And for those who couldn't see his face, the way the Force swirled around Anakin warned anyone to stay away.

With that gift that the very young sometimes had, Luke called him 'stormy Ani' when the padawan reached this state, and that was probably the most accurate description she heard. Her little brother was struggling with not only with what was done to Obi-Wan, but also his own reaction. More to the point, he was caught between his desire to take care of Obi-Wan, his need for reassurance, and the almost physical need to find Sidious and hurt him. Badly.

What wasn't as clear to Asajj was what, exactly, triggered this. Obi-Wan's 'amnesia,' for lack of a better word was certainly a large part of it, as well as the obvious hell he was put through during his captivity. That would be hard for Anakin, protective Anakin, to handle. However, while they were all upset right now, she thought he was dealing with it. Evidently, he was getting better about masking his emotions. Either way, right now, he needed this. He needed to work out his frustration, needed to go up against someone who could match him, possible even best him. Her former Master was taking care of her husband and children, and someone needed to take care of Anakin.

Under normal circumstances, Obi-Wan would be doing that, but right now, he couldn't. Shmi was on Tatooine, helping with her and Cliegg's first grandchild, Vashti. She would come immediately, but really, her Tatooine family needed her more right now than Anakin did. So it fell to her, and Asajj was utterly determined not to fail her family. Moreover, she couldn't allow Anakin near her children until he got this out of his system. Asajj's hearing was almost permanently damaged after the last time a highly-distressed Anakin spent time with Luke and Leia.

So to spare her children's nerves and her own hearing, she stood opposite her brother in the training salle, quietly watching as he prowled back and forth. While she would have never said so, his behavior right now reminded her rather strongly her of caged animals she had seen. Asajj held her tongue, knowing that Anakin would strike when he was ready. At the moment, the youngster was trying to focus. His mood was infecting her, sending adrenaline flowing through her body, and she wanted to fight now as well (again), but someone had to be the adult at the moment. And she was that lucky someone. . .she had the strength and the will to do so.

Anakin stalked away from her, growling under his breath. Asajj tensed, knowing it would be very soon now. She was right. . .as soon as she thumbed on her lightsaber, as soon as the distinctive snap-hiss could be heard, Anakin acted. His own 'saber was ignited, he did a back flip to face her, and their duel began. Asajj allowed herself to slide into the Force, meeting each thrust and strike with the Soresu she learned from Obi-Wan. It was a form that was perfect for her gentle husband. Mace often said that Obi-Wan was the stone in the harbor that the water crashed upon. She hadn't understood what he meant until she went to Naboo for her first (and thankfully, last) undercover assignment.

But right now, he was not that rock. He was frightened and confused, with no hint of the strength that they had all known and come to rely upon. There was no way he could possibly be anything else. Now they had to be strong for him, and it was already taking its toll. In the long months they searched for him, they had that belief, that certainty, that he was still alive. They could cling to that, and to each other. Now, he was home and he was safe (mostly), but now he needed them to be strong. Anakin in particular felt adrift. He had seen Obi-Wan injured before, of course. They all had. The injuries he sustained on Naboo during the fight with the Zabrak came immediately to mind.

But he had never seen him so. . .well, like this. None of them had. But for the first time since leaving his mother at the age of nine, Anakin was seeing just how fragile his master could truly be. The next few weeks and months would be difficult for all of them, but Anakin would find it especially hard. Not just as a former slave, but his mother's brush with death a few years earlier hit him hard. After everything they went through as slaves, to have her nearly die at the hands of Tusken raiders as a free woman. . .and that wasn't even the worst part of it. At first, it was as if something had broken in her, and that quiet, loving, steady presence that helped to keep Anakin stable flickered and nearly went out.

Asajj, who lost her own mother at a young age, had done her best for her little brother. They all had. . .Cliegg, Owen and Owen's sweet (then) fiancée Beru. But until Shmi Skywalker Lars began to regain her spirit as well as her health, the shadows didn't leave Anakin's eyes. (The fact that the entire excursion eventually caused a terrible argument between Anakin and Obi-Wan didn't help, either) Remembering Anakin's despondency during the weeks that followed, she feared history would repeat itself. Like Shmi, Obi-Wan was one of the pillars of Anakin's existence. He had returned to them, and physically, he was in better condition than Shmi. But he didn't recognize this reality, and that was the part that frightened them all.

Asajj shut off the corner of her mind that wasn't focused on their match and returned her full attention to Anakin. He was tiring, and moisture ran down his face. Whether it was sweat or tears, it was hard to say. But he wouldn't last much longer. . . which was why she had chosen Soresu. It tended to wear down one's opponents. Anakin's blows became wilder and more erratic, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a feral grimace. Asajj 's instinct about her brother's performance in their match was borne out a few minutes later, when Anakin's lightsaber winked out and he fell to his knees, gasping. Asajj turned off her own saber, clipped it back to her belt, and then knelt in front of Anakin. He gave a low sob and threw himself into her arms.

She held him tightly, knowing that she would obtain her own release in tears later. And Asajj would need to cry, after seeing her husband. But right now, Anakin needed her to be strong. She tightened her arms around him yet again, running her hand over the bristles of his padawan haircut to stroke the back of his neck. She was relieved her Master was taking care of the twins. When this was all over, she was taking Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Master Dooku on a long, long vacation. Her poor Obi-Wan had earned it, and so had the rest of their family!

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do to help him, Asajj," Anakin choked out, "I don't know what he needs me to do! He looks at me, and I see relief and happiness that I'm here, and I'm okay, but I see fear, too. He's afraid, Asajj, and it hurts to see him looking at me with so much fear in his eyes. He's afraid for me, and he's afraid of me. He's afraid that I'm going to fall again, and I don't know how to reassure him! That's. . .I'm afraid, too, Asajj. I'm afraid of what I'll do to Sidious when we find him! He hurt Master, he hurt him so badly, and I don't know what to do to make him better!"

The blonde Knight closed her eyes, holding Anakin tightly as his words ended on a wail. She really didn't know what else to do right now. There were no easy answers here. As Asajj knew all too well, what Obi-Wan needed right now, more than anything, was something Anakin found hardest to give: patience. After hearing about what Obi-Wan had seen (no doubt why Mace had told them in the first place), it would take him time to realize that this reality was. . . well, for lack of a better word, 'real.' She said softly, soothing him as best she could with her hands and her words, "I know how hard being patient is for you, Anakin. . .but that's the best thing you can do for him right now. He needs you to give him time to adjust. And he needs you to love him. It may take time for him to remember, really remember, but in the meantime, we give him new memories, to replace the ones Sidious created for him."

"Of course I love him! Even when I was being a rate-A Sithling brat, I've always loved him!" Anakin cried out, his arms tightening around Asajj almost convulsively. She knew that. And so did Obi-Wan. But what was becoming more and more clear was, that wasn't the point. Anakin hadn't yet realized it (although he was starting to see the outlines, it seemed), but it was entirely possible they would need to completely rebuild their relationships with Obi-Wan. . .from the ground up. All of them, except Luke and Leia. But even that knowledge had its silver lining, even that possibility held hope, and this was something she shared with Anakin.

"He may never remember us, Anakin. . .the real us. The slightly bratty apprentice who adores him, the wife who is probably only on the Light Side because of him, the Master whom he saved. But we can give him new memories, like I said. Even if he doesn't remember the good things, he also won't remember the bad things. . .you screaming him at him that you hated him after we came back from Tatooine; the times I punched and kicked and attacked him because of the emptiness I felt inside. I don't know about you, but I hope he never remembers those things," Asajj answered.

"I. . .I hadn't thought about that," Anakin whispered, "I don't want him to remember how stupid I was. I wasn't even really mad at him, I was mad at myself. I was mad at myself, and I hurt him because of that." Asajj released a silent sigh of relief. She could feel the Force around him calming. His signature in the Force wasn't nearly as stormy as it had been. She gave him a little hug, and Anakin sighed, "I'm sorry. I've been a selfish jerk, only thinking about how scared I am. I hadn't thought about how you were feeling."

Asajj smiled, relaxing ever so slightly, and replied, "I'm scared and angry, and worried. But I keep telling myself that we have him back. We have Obi-Wan back, and we're going to take care of him. You said it yourself, on Rattarak, Niki. He always takes care of us, and now, it's our turn to take care of him. Even Luke and Leia will take care of him, in their own baby way. He's going to come back to us, sooner or later. Maybe he'll never totally be the Obi-Wan we remember from before, but he will come back to us, and we will put our family back together again. You know I don't make many promises. . .but that, I can promise you. Our family will be whole once more."

Anakin gave her a weak smile, and Asajj added with an almost evil grin, "And when Obi-Wan becomes more like his old self, then we can both chide you for having the bad taste in the other timeline to fall in love with the likes of Padme Amidala. I mean, c'mon, Anakin, I know you're young, but that's pathetic!" That surprised a true laugh out of him, and Asajj hugged him again.

"Hey, I was nine years old! How old were you when you fell in love with Master?" Anakin protested as Asajj rose to her feet and helped him up. Asajj just smirked, quietly pleased that he was reaching the point where he could return her teasing. And now, it was time for them to return to Obi-Wan. He would have need of them soon, she sensed.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Obi-Wan's return had a restorative effect on the Jedi currently at the Temple, something Yan Dooku noticed as he strode through the corridors with Luke in one arm and Leia in the other. Either that or they were simply relieved that Anakin was no longer storming around, and that Asajj was actually smiling again. Either way, the younglings he encountered were practically skipping with delight, the initiates seemed just as thrilled, and more than a few padawans were beaming. Yan could only smile back in relief and joy. Not just because Obi-Wan was home, but also because none of the Jedi whom he encountered trying to stop him for a conversation.

Then again, they probably deduced that he was on his way to see Obi-Wan, especially with the twins in his arms. As he strode down the halls, he reminded himself of everything he had to say or not say. His boy would be quite confused, and he had to remember that. He had to be patient with him. The trouble was, being patient with Obi-Wan was never an issue. Being patient with himself was another story. As he reached the Healer's Wing, he was somewhat surprised to see neither Asajj nor Anakin beside Obi-Wan's bed. Instead, Mace Windu sat there, reading a holopad and glancing at Obi-Wan every few minutes. The young man himself was resting quietly. Leia breathed, "Daddy? Daddy wake up?" Mace looked up and smiled, holding his hands out to the little girl. Yan swung the child over to his friend, making Leia squeal with laughter.

Obi-Wan groaned a little, shifting on the bed, and Yan turned in time to see the boy's eyes open. That was all it took for him to forget all of his resolutions. He beamed, murmuring, "It's good to see you awake, child." Obi-Wan blinked, but smiled faintly. Yan deposited Luke in Mace's free arm, and then knelt beside his padawan, gently stroking his hair back from his forehead. Obi-Wan stared up at him in surprise and Yan mentally kicked himself. Foolish old man! He was relieved to find there was only surprise in the younger man's expression, not alarm.

The older Jedi turned to look at the Council member. Mace very carefully avoided his eyes, and Yan sighed. As Obi-Wan's former Master, this was his responsibility. He said as much to Yoda, and that was as true now as when they came back from Rattarak. Yan Dooku had never shirked his responsibility to any of his padawans, and he wouldn't start now. He just hoped Mace didn't say something to Yoda. That reminded him. . .he had to find out where his former mentor was. Obi-Wan was dear to him as well. Unless Yoda was trying to give Obi-Wan's immediate family the room he believed they needed.

Well, they would worry about that later. He turned back to the young man and smiled at him reassuringly, making sure to pull the blanket up around his shoulders. The small gesture gave him time to think, to work out what he meant to say. Yan finally said quietly, "I can't begin to imagine how confused you must be, child. Mace told us a little of what you saw, in that other timeline. Myself, Anakin, and Asajj, all Sith or Sith hopefuls. Becoming a Knight in such a heart-wrenching way. There is so much you need to know. But the first, and most important thing you need to remember, padawan, is to be patient with yourself." Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he mouthed, 'padawan?' Too late, Yan remembered that in Mace's Visions the other timeline, he was Obi-Wan's grandmaster, instead of his Master.

But it was too late to take the words back, and he really didn't want to. Great stars, this was becoming complicated! Yan forged ahead, telling the young man, "Yes, child. . .you're my padawan. I took you as my padawan learner a few months after your twelfth birthday. It was, quite possibly, the wisest thing I've ever done. And even after you were knighted, twelve years ago, you have remained my beloved apprentice and dearest friend." Obi-Wan started to speak, swallowed hard, and tried again. Yan waited patiently, knowing how it was sometimes difficult for Obi-Wan to ask such questions. It took several attempts before he could push the words out.

At last, he whispered, "Just after my twelfth birthday? I. . .I never went to Bandomeer, to the AgriCorps?" To the AgriCorps? That was re-tooled more than thirty years earlier! Why in the galaxy. . . And Yan realized he made the same mistake, again. They would have to be careful about that. The boy wasn't thinking in terms of the true reality, but what he had seen in Mace's dreams. Of course he was, that was the 'reality' he thought he knew. They were making the assumption that Obi-Wan had seen Mace's dreams, but given the Councilor's statements about Obi-Wan's reactions when he first woke up, Yan thought it was a reasonable assumption to make.

That was why he said now, "No, padawan, you never went to the AgriCorps. That Corps. . .indeed, all of the Corps except the Exploration Corps. . .was re-tooled a little over thirty years ago, when it was realized that rejected initiates were entirely too vulnerable. And I would have never allowed that to be your fate. I knew, from the moment I saw you, Obi-Wan, that you were meant to be my padawan." He thought, for a short time, that a man in his late fifties had no business taking a new padawan and that the boy would be better served with a younger master. But the will of the Force was clear. Besides, Yoda was centuries old, and he had many students.

"Have. . .has there ever been a time when I failed you?" Obi-Wan asked softly. Failed him? Where in the galaxy was he getting these ideas? Yan thought earlier that he knew just what he, Asajj, and Anakin were up against. It was only now that he was starting to realize the truth. . .he actually had no idea. They had no idea. But he had to comprehend it quickly. His padawan's sanity might well depend on it. Even so, even with that understanding, Yan struggled to speak. At last, he picked up Obi-Wan's hand from where it rested on the sheets, holding it tightly. When he finally had a handle on his emotions, Yan looked at his padawan, staring firmly into his eyes.

He said softly, "There has never been a time, Obi-Wan Kenobi, when you've failed me. There has never been a time when you've disappointed me. You haven't been the perfect padawan, and there might have been times when your performance wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I have never expected perfection. You've always done your best, and whether I praised your successes or corrected your mistakes, you've always striven to be better. And I couldn't ask for a better padawan." Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly, as if to blink back tears. Yan pressed his free hand to his former student's cheek and whispered, "You have only ever been a blessing to me."

"What. . .what about when I left the Jedi on Melida/Daan?" Obi-Wan stammered. Only Yan's lifetime of training as a Jedi kept him from gaping at his former padawan in absolute shock. Left the Jedi? Melida/Daan? What did the boy mean? His hand tightened around Obi-Wan's, almost reflexively. Every time he thought he had a handle on what Obi-Wan thought he remembered, the boy threw him for another loop. In his mind's eye, he could see a young boy, staring up at him with an almost desperate expression. . .could hear that boy tell him urgently, They need help, Master! Yan shook himself and refocused his attention on the young man in front of him, that little boy now all grown up. Realigning Obi-Wan's memories could very well take years. For now, he would remember the advice of his first padawan, and focus on this moment.

He replied, "You never left the Jedi on Melida/Daan, Obi-Wan. I do not know how it played out in that other reality you saw, but you did not want to leave the Young to fight alone, and I was not about to leave you alone. Master Tahl was injured, so Qui-Gon took her back to the ship. You and I remained behind, and continued to help the Young in any way we could. Tragically, neither of us could save Cerasi, but that was not your fault, child. It was never your fault. The ship returned for us shortly after Cerasi's death, at Tahl's insistence. We did have some trouble when we returned to the Temple, because some people received the mistaken impression that you left the Jedi, but Tahl and I quickly put things to rights." Something from which he derived a great deal of pleasure. . .and so did Tahl.

A glance at his former padawan told him that the poor boy was quite close to going into shock. Obi-Wan tried repeatedly to say something, and failed miserably. Yan finally placed a gentle finger against his lips, saying softly, "You don't need to say anything. There is so much you need to know. I can't pretend to know what you saw, but here are the most important things. You have a Master who loves you without reservation; a padawan who would no more turn to the Dark Side than he would fall in love with the child-Senator; so very many friends who are so glad you're home; and. . .and you're half the reason Asajj Ventress is a respected Knight. She most likely will never be a Master, but I doubt that matters a great deal to her."

"Yan. . .you should tell him the rest of it. He needs to hear it from you," Mace said quietly. Did he? Mace repeated, "He needs to know the rest of the story about Asajj. It won't occur to her not to tell him." Yan closed his eyes, realizing his friend was right. Asajj would want to spend time with her husband, just as Luke and Leia wanted to spend time with their father. They had done without him for six months, they had missed him terribly, and. . . Yan's hands tightened around Obi-Wan's.

"Gr. . .Master. . .those children? Who are they?" Obi-Wan asked hesitantly, looking at the twin toddlers in Mace's arms. Yan found he was almost grateful for his former padawan's question, as it distracted him from the sticky point of explaining Obi-Wan's relationship with Asajj. It might also provide a lead-in to that particular conversation. Surprisingly enough, the twins hadn't made a noise yet. They just stared at Obi-Wan with big, anxious eyes. Yan couldn't speak. Obi-Wan added, "And Mace. . .you said something about Asajj. . .what about her? What do I need to know about her? Please. . . you can't say something like that and then expect me to ignore it!" The confusion and pain in his padawan's voice would have broken Yan's heart, if he hadn't already known about Mace's dreams.

He squeezed Obi-Wan's hand and said quietly, "You probably realized, child, that many things are different. The no-attachment rule was clarified, more than thirty years ago, after a badly-injured Master recovered from nearly-fatal wounds. This Master was intimate with a woman, and together, they created a child. That child was placed in the crèche, where he remained for the next six months. Then the Master, the father, was nearly killed on what should have been a routine mission. He would have died, if a brave little padawan hadn't gone to the crèche and retrieved the infant boy, then carried him to the Healer's Wing, placing him beside his father."

"That day," Mace said softly, "the rules began to. . .change. The Master's love for, his attachment to, his son saved his life. The Council began to rethink a great many things, including the definition of attachment. By the time Asajj and Anakin came to us, the Order had changed greatly. What your Master is trying to tell you is, these children I have in my lap. . .are your son and daughter." Yan shot his friend a grateful look, knowing fully well that he would pay for it later. That was fine. He would be more than happy to pay.

"My. . .my children? How old are they, what are their names. . .who is their mother?" Obi-Wan asked, the words rushing out. Mace rose to his feet, holding the twins in front of him, and moved closer to the bed. Yan watched his padawan's face, rather than his friend's progression. Mace eased Luke onto the bed first, and the little boy immediately crawled to his father, throwing both arms around his neck. Obi-Wan stabilized him with a careful, protective arm around his small body, breathing, "Luke?"

The toddler pulled back from hugging his father and pressed both hands to his cheeks, exclaiming, "Daddy!" Though Obi-Wan was clearly in shock, Yan noted that as he always did when Luke pressed his tiny hands to his father's cheeks, Obi-Wan turned his head ever so slightly to kiss the palm of his son's hand. He might not have a conscious memory of his children. . .but there was a part of him which did remember. With a gentle smile, Mace settled Leia on the bed and the little girl followed her brother's lead, crawling up her father's legs to cuddle against his chest.

"And Leia? They. . .they're mine?" Obi-Wan breathed. He brushed a gentle kiss to the top of Leia's head, his arms tightening around them both. Yan simply watched, mentally committing this picture to his memory. He learned the hard way, half-believing for months that his padawan was lost to him, just how quickly a person could lose what mattered most to him or her. If he was to lose Obi-Wan again (Force forbid), he wanted to have this memory. But Yan would make sure they wouldn't lose Obi-Wan ever again.

"They are both yours, and they adore you. It was because of Luke, and a strange transmission, that we found you at all. Luke's dreams about Rattarak pointed us in the right direct, but it was the transmission that convinced the Council that Luke's dreams were far more important than a little boy's wish to have his father home. I have no idea who sent that transmission, but I owe them a debt of gratitude I can never repay. Asajj and Anakin went to Rattarak and rescued you. That was a few days ago. You have spent the time since then sleeping for the most part. I know you woke up earlier, when Anakin was in here. I think he has slept very little for the last few weeks, ever since Luke's dreams started. The hint of a possibility that we might find you. . .the last six months have been terrible for the poor boy. For all of us," Yan replied.

"Anakin never married Padme. . .Luke and Leia are my children. . .you are my Master, rather than my grandmaster. Is. . .is Master Qui-Gon dead? Anakin was found on Tatooine, yes?" Obi-Wan asked. Yan nodded, noting that he hadn't asked about Luke and Leia's mother again yet. That was good. His poor child received so many shocks already, and he only truly awakened today. For some reason, he had the feeling that the revelation about Asajj might be a little too much for him.

"Yes, you and Qui-Gon found Anakin on Tatooine, a little over ten years ago. I know Qui-Gon wanted to train Anakin, just as he wanted to train you, but a bond immediately formed between you boys. Qui-Gon died on Naboo during a duel with a Sith, whom you eventually killed. You, however, were seriously injured during the duel, and for several days, we were afraid we would lose you. Asajj was undercover as one of Queen Amidala's handmaidens and she contacted me whenever she could," Yan explained. Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and Yan continued with a smile, "She was quite pleased to wash that dark dye out of her hair."

"What. . .color is her hair naturally?" Obi-Wan asked slowly, kissing the top of Luke's head. He was frowning in confusion, as if he was trying to work something out. By now, Yan knew every expression. . .he knew when Obi-Wan was confused because something made no sense, and he knew when he was confused because of conflicting information. This was the latter sort of expression. The trouble was, Yan had no idea what was causing the conflict of information. And Mace, damn him, was absolutely silent.

"Blonde. Pale blonde, which she usually wears in multiple braids. She decided she liked the padawan braid so much, she would wear her hair in multiple braids," Yan explained, surprising a laugh out of the young man. The elder Jedi rejoiced in the sound. It was so good to hear it again. After a moment, he continued, "She was a prickly little thing, in the beginning. She still can be, but that has been softened by love. Asajj can still be venomous, but it is usually protecting someone she loves. On occasion, she is venomous toward her loved ones, but usually, that comes from fear."

Obi-Wan nodded, his eyes distant as he kissed the top of his daughter's head, before nuzzling his son as well. He was silent for several moments, and Yan was gratified to see that the children had fallen asleep, content in their father's arms. At last, Obi-Wan looked up at him and whispered, "Gran. . . Master, what happened to me?" If Yan thought things were complicated earlier, he had been wrong. How exactly did he explain to his padawan what happened? How did he explain just how badly he failed him, in not realizing that he was heading for a trap? Of course, knowing Obi-Wan, not only would he forgive him, but he wouldn't even understand why Yan was apologizing to him.

So, he took the most sensible path (reminding himself not to editorialize. Obi-Wan wouldn't remember any of his quirks). He covered Obi-Wan's hand with his own, saying softly, "A little over six months ago, you left Coruscant on protection detail. At the request of her husband, you were escorting Senator Amidala to Geonosis, in the hopes she could begin peace talks with certain factions of the Separatists. You and her husband, the governor of Telos, both made repeated attempts to talk her out of it, reminding that Nute Gunray had attempted to kill her repeatedly over the last eleven years, since the invasion of Naboo. However, being the willful young lady she is, she insisted that she could end the war. In an attempt to keep her safe, the governor asked you to look after her. It was, of course, a trap. Your ship never reached Geonosis. . .instead, you were attacked during your final approach and boarded. The Force gave you enough warning to push the senator into an escape pod, but not enough time for you to escape safely. As we learned later, you were captured immediately thereafter."

Obi-Wan's eyes never left his face, and Yan continued, "Once we retrieved the escape pod, Anakin and I immediately set out to find you. According to the Geonosian authorities, after the attempted abduction of Senator Amidala failed, your ship crashed, leaving no survivors. Your bond with Anakin was muted; that was how we knew you weren't really dead. That, and there were no human remains found in the ship. You were alive, it was just a matter of finding you."

His former padawan shook his head, murmuring, "I don't remember anything of that. You said that Senator Amidala was married to the governor of Telos?" Yan nodded and waited patiently as the young man puzzled that one out. At last, Obi-Wan said softly, "In my memories. . .in what you and Mace tell me were nightmares. . .she was married to Anakin. They had two children together, Luke and Leia, but they had to be raised separately to protect them after Anakin fell."

"Padme Amidala married Xanatos about eight years ago. Would you like me to tell you how that came about?" Yan asked. Obi-Wan nodded slowly, and the elder Jedi explained, "After her planet was liberated, questions were raised about why Naboo could not defend itself. Yes, they had their civil air defense corps, but that did them little good. The idea was raised that another planet would enter into a treaty with the people of Naboo. Xanatos of Telos offered to marry Queen Amidala, in exchange for. . .well, that part matters little. Suffice to say, they were married about six months later and after her second term as queen was up, she left Naboo to represent Telos as a Senator."

Not surprisingly, Obi-Wan's first question was, "Is that legal?" Yan bit his lip to keep from smiling. . .there was the boy he raised! The youngster blushed and ducked his head, as he often did as a teenager when he was embarrassed.

"Quite," he assured his former padawan, "she now represents the people of Telos within the Senate, and assists her home planet at every opportunity." Yan sighed a little, adding, "I am quite proud of Xanatos. He has grown into a fine man, an excellent governor, and a very shrewd businessman. When we discovered you were on Rattarak, Xan was the first to offer the use of his ship despite the animosity between Asajj and his wife. And for all that he loves his wife, Xan wanted you found. . .and he wanted you safe."

"Xanatos was very different in my memory," Obi-Wan murmured. Yes, of that, Yan had no doubt. However, he said nothing, and after a moment, his former padawan continued, "I would think that the mission to Telos turned out quite differently, and yet the same. Xanatos is obviously no longer a Jedi, as he's the governor of Telos and married. Do they have any children. . .Xanatos and Padme?" Yan shook his head. The Senator was still quite young, and while he had no doubt that she was a good step-mother to young Granta, he was also certain that she was not yet ready to be a mother.

Still, he mentioned neither of these things to Obi-Wan, choosing instead to answer, "I have no idea how Telos played out in your memory. I can tell you, however, that the Council opposed the idea of Xanatos going to Telos, especially such a short time after his previous mission. He was still recovering from how badly things turned out. Qui-Gon, however, insisted that the boy was quite strong enough to deal with whatever Crion could throw at him. Since he raised Xan for so many years, the Council acceded to his wishes, and they journeyed to Telos."

From Obi-Wan's expression, he could tell this was the last thing the young man was expecting to hear. However, the boy was silent and Yan went on, "Things went quickly from bad to worse. Crion provoked a fight with Qui-Gon during a state dinner, and matters escalated. No one fully knows what happened after that, but by the end of the night, Crion was dead at Qui-Gon's hand. . .in fact, he died in his son's arms. And Qui-Gon left for Coruscant as Xanatos tried to save his father's life. Xanatos returned to us long enough to leave the Jedi Order and give his lightsaber to the Council, and then he returned to Telos. The Council was so enraged with Qui-Gon, they placed him on probation. . .not allowing him to take another padawan until he proved he was worthy."

Mace observed quietly, "We wanted to be sure he would put the well-being, both physical and mental, of his padawan before his own pride. There were already those of us in the Order, and on the Council, who were breaking the no-attachment rule. The clarification of those rules thirty-odd years ago gave them the freedom to come into the light. It did one other thing. . .it allowed us to listen to the Force more closely. It warned us that Qui-Gon's pride would cause trouble for his padawans if it remained unchecked, and none of us were willing to endanger a child in such a way."

"My pride was what caused Anakin to fall in my memories," Obi-Wan said softly, "I was so sure that I could train him as well as Yoda. Because of that, because I failed to see how dangerous the chancellor was. . .he fell. I failed him. I failed the entire Order, and then I failed his family again, because his grandson fell and nearly destroyed all light in the galaxy." Now that, Yan seriously doubted. He wasn't the only one. A glance over his shoulder told him that Mace was staring at Obi-Wan with a flat-out disbelieving stare. Recognizing that expression on the Councilor's face, Yan simply grinned. This would likely be enjoyable to watch.

"I have never known you to lie, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you are telling an untruth right now. Fact, Yoda never wanted Anakin trained in that reality, so that argument holds no weight. Fact, it was not your 'overweening pride or hubris' that led to Anakin's fall, there was far more to it. To say otherwise is to remove responsibility from others, and when you do that, they cannot learn from their mistakes. Were mistakes made on your part? Of course. But you are only a man, Obi-Wan Kenobi. . .an excellent Jedi, a fine Master, an exemplary padawan, a loving husband and father, but for all that, only a man. Do not take responsibility from the shoulders of others," Mace told the young Knight sternly.

Much to Yan's amusement, Obi-Wan's mouth was opening and closing in shock. Mace continued in a more gentle tone, "I have seen some of what you saw, Obi-Wan. Anakin's fall was not your fault. You weren't even on the planet when it happened, after all. Anakin's mirror self told you not to blame yourself when you met again in the Force, remember? He told you again when he watched his grandson follow his dark path. I am telling you now. And I have no doubt that your Anakin, our Anakin, will tell you the exact same thing. He loves you very much."

"And I him," Obi-Wan whispered, lowering his eyes. Yan squeezed his padawan's hand gently, and then reached up to brush the auburn hair away from his forehead. As had been the case since he awakened, the gesture surprised Obi-Wan, but he reined in his reaction and murmured an apology. At last, he said, "Forgive me, Masters, I have so much to consider. . .so much to which I must accustom myself. Everything I thought I knew about my life, about my past, is untrue. . .and yet, it still feels true to me."

"There is nothing to forgive, Obi-Wan," Mace replied, his voice growing even more gentle, "that, to you, is real, and you half-fear waking up to find that this reality is the dream." Obi-Wan's head reared up and he stared at Mace in utter shock. Mace merely smiled at him and added, "Did you really think we would not understand? Obi-Wan, I saw much of what happened in that other reality, the one you still believe in your soul to be the real one. To go from there to here, which, while not perfect, is still far more appealing. . .of course you fear waking from this dream. Again. You are but a human being, a fallible man. Anyone would feel that way, Jedi or not."

"Th. . .thank you. I have so much to consider, so much. . .what of the others? Yoda, Kit Fisto. . .and the others? Not just the Jedi, but others. What of Bail and Breha Organa? Alderaan is safe? I remember Bail Organa telling me that his wife Breha could never carry a child to term. . .Bail offered to take Leia for that reason. They spoke often of adopting a little girl, and they loved Leia fiercely," Obi-Wan replied. Mace and Yan shared a smile. Yet another thing that was different, better, in this world. However, before either man could speak, they were joined by another Master. . .the smallest, and greatest, of them all. While he would have never said it aloud, Yan was relieved to see this particular Master.

"Ahh, awakened, he has. Good, it is, to see your eyes open, young one," Grandmaster Yoda said, hobbling into the room. Yan watched as Obi-Wan's eyes lit up at the side of the ancient Master. He smiled, actually looking happy, and Yan squashed the momentary jealousy. Yoda came to Obi-Wan's bedside, patting his thigh with one small, clawed hand, adding, "Been worried for you, we have. Very relieved, we all are, to have you safe, young Obi-Wan. Missed greatly, you have been."

"I've missed you as well, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan whispered hoarsely. Yoda's huge green eyes observed all the changes Yan noticed in his child. . .the set of his shoulders, the pain in his eyes, the exhaustion that remained. Though the Jedi Order changed over the last thirty-plus years, in some ways, Master Yoda remained the same individual Yan remembered from his own childhood. The changes had been hard for him, but he adapted as best he could.

"Hmm, seen things, you have. Things that could have been, things that might still be. Scarred you, these things have," Yoda told the young man. Yan barely held back from rolling his eyes. If they were going to listen to Yoda, first he had to stop telling things they already knew! Yoda humphed, no doubt knowing what his former protégé was thinking, but told his former student in a gentle voice, "Remember this, you must, young one. Alone you were, in your false memories, in too many ways. Alone here, you are not. Love you, we all do. Abandon you, we will not. Abandon you, we cannot."

"You never abandoned me. . .we had to go into exile, it was the only way to make sure any Jedi survived!" Obi-Wan immediately protested. Yoda, however, shook his head sadly, never losing eye contact with the youngest Jedi present. Obi-Wan asked softly, "Was. . .did you mean something else?" Yan wished he could hold his poor, confused padawan, but right now, that simply wasn't a good idea. In Obi-Wan's mind and soul, Yan himself was still his grandmaster, the man who had done so much to hurt Obi-Wan. Mentally, he knew the truth, but it would take time before Obi-Wan could lean on him without thinking about it, as he did before this nightmare began. Perhaps a long time.

"What Yoda means, Obi-Wan, is that in the other reality, you never received the support you needed. When you asked for help, no one gave you that help. . .and no one listened to your warnings. Remember? You knew that High Council shouldn't ask Anakin to spy on Palpatine," Mace replied quietly. Obi-Wan closed his eyes tightly and began to rub his fingers back and forth across his forehead, a familiar gesture. His padawan was being pushed to his limits. . .too much was new, too much was strange, and his body was rebelling. The headaches were the first symptoms. As Obi-Wan struggled to assimilate this new information, he would get sicker. . .unless Yan could alleviate that now.

"Master Yoda, Mace. . .might I have a few moments alone with my padawan and his children?" Yan requested. Much to his relief, the two Councilors immediately agreed and left the room, though not before Yoda patted Obi-Wan's thigh reassuringly and Mace squeezed his shoulder. With the two Councilors gone, Yan turned his attention to his padawan. Ever mindful of the two small children, he slipped his hand around the back of Obi-Wan's neck, sensing the boy was on the verge of completely shattering. Given the circumstances, not even the Dark Woman could have blamed him, either.

On the other hand. . .best not to tempt fate. Pitching his voice low, Yan soothed, "All will be well, padawan. Shh. Release it to the Force, my little one. Release your fear and your confusion. Shh. I'm here, padawan." It was a measure of just how rattled Obi-Wan was that the stubborn, independent young man did not resist him. With that light touch, memories flashed through his mind. Yan didn't know if they were true memories, or more memories falsely placed by Sidious. He had a sick feeling, however, that they were true. . .his padawan a captive, helpless and unable to defend himself. Between the Force-collar around his neck and the strong arms holding him from behind. Yan could feel the fear (but not for himself) . . .and the pain as a sneering human male punched him repeatedly. The elder Master murmured, "I have you, child, he can never hurt you again."

"Forgive me, Master. . .I should have better control than this," Obi-Wan whispered, and Yan closed his eyes, feeling tears prickling at the backs of his eyes. He maintained his gentle grip on his former padawan, careful to avoid crushing the two toddlers asleep on their father's chest. So far as he was concerned, there was nothing wrong with the boy's control, not when he was able to keep his emotions in check to the point that he could avoid waking the twins. Even now, in his pain and confusion, his former padawan maintained his shields. Then again, his padawan always had frighteningly strong shields. After a moment, Yan opened his eyes once more and stared hard at the youngster.

"There is nothing to forgive, child. You have been through the worst kind of torture imaginable. . .mental torture. You awaken in a world both familiar and strange. No, if anyone should beg forgiveness, I should. I should have protected you better. What is the last thing you remember. . .of anything? The dreams or of this life?" Yan whispered. Obi-Wan released a breath, as if trying to release his anguish at the same time. He wouldn't break down. . .not yet, not his Obi-Wan. But sooner or later, the real and unreal would collide.

"In the. . .dream world. Leia's son Jacen had fallen to the Dark Side, just as Anakin did. He thought he was turning for the right reasons, but before it was all over. . ." Obi-Wan began. He shuddered, and Yan fought the inclination to speak. Obi-Wan needed him to listen right now. . .not to react. After a moment, the young man went on, "It nearly destroyed Anakin. He had done so much to hurt both Luke and Leia. . .cutting off Luke's hand, torturing Leia, holding her and forcing her to watch while Grand Moff Tarkin blasted Alderaan into so much space dust. Seeing his children in such pain again, and being unable to help them. . .oh stars, I couldn't help him!"

The grief in that simple sentence spoke volumes to the silver-haired Jedi Master. He kept his tongue still, however, and his ears active. After a moment, Obi-Wan continued hoarsely, "And through those flashes, of seeing the Purge through my own eyes, through Anakin's eyes, through the eyes of others, I see something else. Someone else, a young woman with long blonde hair. Sometimes I see her with many slim braids and sometimes I see her with loose hair. But she's beautiful, and she's smiling at someone. Someone she loves. It nearly breaks my hair, to see the love in that smile."

"That is Asajj you're seeing, padawan. That beautiful blonde girl is Asajj. And the person who is gifted with those smiles? Is you," Yan told his former padawan. Obi-Wan's mouth dropped open. Almost in spite of himself, his eyes dropped to the two children even now nestled against his chest. He looked back up at Yan, the desire to ask the question warring with the fear. Fear that he would be wrong, or fear of something else? He didn't know. And so, Yan Dooku answered the question that his padawan wanted to ask, was terrified to ask. He said softly, "Yes. Asajj is the mother of those beautiful children."

"But. . .how? If Asajj has blonde hair, where did Leia get her dark hair?" Obi-Wan choked out. Yan curbed his desire to tease Obi-Wan with a repeat of 'The Talk,' and instead focused on what Obi-Wan was actually asking. It was a fair question. Obi-Wan had auburn hair (the shade varied according to its length) and Asajj's hair was pale blonde, so how did they end up with a dark-haired child? Perhaps that was how Sidious was able to convince Obi-Wan that Leia was in fact, the child of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala Naberrie?

"Our daughter inherited her hair color from her paternal grandfather," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Obi-Wan's head turned so quickly, it made Yan's neck ache just to watch. His most recent padawan had a habit of showing up at the most unlikely of times. Put her together with Obi-Wan and Anakin, and you had a truly terrifying trinity. However, neither Asajj nor Anakin (who was peering over her shoulder, eyes red with recent tears) looked terrifying at the moment. More like terrified.

With a warm smile, Yan extended his free hand to the two young Jedi, saying, "Your timing couldn't be better. I'd like to introduce the two of you to someone very dear. Anakin, Asajj, I'd like you both to meet Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan, this is your padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, and your wife, the mother of these precious twins, Asajj Ventress-Kenobi." Asajj may have had excellent timing. But as he saw Obi-Wan's eyes round in shock, and his mouth form the word, 'wife,' Yan smugly reflected that he still had the last word.

TBC


	5. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan learns more about his actual reality, about what created the changes in the Jedi Order, and the difference in relationships. And Yan Dooku uses a line that Anakin had in the other reality.

He honestly wasn't sure why he was so stunned. Doo. . .his Master already told him that Asajj was Luke and Leia's mother (something he was still struggling to accept). It stood to reason, then, that Asajj was also his wife. Perhaps because this Asajj, his wife, looked so very different than the woman he remembered (dreamed). Perhaps because he still found it hard to believe that Luke and Leia were his children, though he loved them both from the moment of their birth.

Right now, Asajj was looking at him as if she was afraid he would shatter at a touch. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell her that she was wrong. . .he was afraid he would do just that. Trying to avoid her eyes, Obi-Wan closed his own and took a deep breath, then released it. His Master's hand tightened on his shoulder and Obi-Wan opened his eyes to look at the older man. Oddly enough, it was becoming easier to think of Master Dooku as his Master, rather than his Grandmaster.

Despite the fact that this man was still in the Light, rather than the Dark, he was familiar in a way nothing else was. Asajj and Anakin were not only Light-side, but there was none of the confusion and frustration that marked Anakin's soul in his (false?) memories. Nor was there the bitterness, despair and longing which drove Asajj into the arms of the Sith. Nothing. . .absolutely nothing was as he remembered it. Mace Windu was not the grim Councilor he remembered from the end of the Republic. . .not when he bantered with Anakin the way he did. Master Yoda (who needed to leave to confer with the Chancellor, but would return as soon as possible) was much more obvious in his affection. And from what little he'd learned recently, not only was Anakin not in love with Padme Amidala, he actively disliked her. That revelation was jarring enough. . .he wasn't sure how to deal with an Anakin who wasn't in love with Padme Amidala.

Well. . .there was one other thing which was familiar and right for him. That was Bant, who stood just past Master Dooku, and smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back, and that broke the stalemate in the room. Anakin broke away from Asajj and threw both arms around Obi-Wan (neatly avoiding the twins), burying his face against his shoulder. The boy's tears soaked the Master's tunic, and Obi-Wan awkwardly put his own arms around his padawan. He was still getting used to the open affection, but this was clearly something Anakin needed. He just hoped it didn't wake the twins.

Asajj joined him a moment after that, sinking to her knees between them. She put one hand on Anakin's back, while the other hand caressed Obi-Wan's hair. Bant said into the near-silence, "We know you're terribly confused, Obi, and none of us can blame you. Master Windu has told us about what you saw. . .how could you not be confused? But if you'll hold onto us, to all of us, we'll get you through this. Oh, don't be fooled. . .I want you back as badly as anyone. But we'll take it slow. After losing you for six months, the last thing any of us want is to overwhelm you."

"Okay, Bant, I heard you the first time," Anakin sniffed, raising his head to look at Obi-Wan. He blinked back tears and whispered, "She's right, though. I know I've been pushing, and I'm so sorry, I just wanted to let you know that I was here for you, and that I wouldn't. . ." His voice trailed off as Obi-Wan freed one of his hands from the sheets to press a finger against Anakin's mouth. Hmm. It worked much better in this. . .wherever he was. Anakin blinked, then grinned, adding hoarsely, "Yes, Master."

"I think, Obi-Wan, it might be beneficial for you to tell us about what you saw while you were a captive. I've told them about my dreams, but that's only a part of it. And then, after you've told us what we need to know, we'll start telling you about how things actually played out," Mace observed. Bant nodded and he looked at the Mon Calamari, asking, "You agree? You don't think it would impede his recovery, especially the recovery of his memories, for us to tell him?"

"No. . .no, in ordinary circumstances of amnesia, that would be the protocol, but this isn't ordinary. We aren't working with someone who has completely lost his memory, but someone who has been given false memories," Bant replied, looking from Obi-Wan to Mace and back again. Obi-Wan could breathe a little easier. While he was seeing fragments of what seemed to be his true life, they were just that. . .mere fragments. That impeded his recovery, both physical and mental. Obi-Wan knew himself. . .if he was busy fretting over things he couldn't remember, he wouldn't focus on what was truly important. Mace nodded slowly.

"All right. Obi-Wan, are you ready to talk about what you remember? As I said, I dreamed some of it, and it frightened me. Will you be all right to talk about this?" he asked. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate. . .he nodded with a determined expression. Much to his surprise, Mace smiled at him warmly and said, "I had a feeling you would say so. Then we only need to wait for Yoda, as he wanted to hear this as well. Anakin, Asajj, Yan. . .I know Obi-Wan will need you nearby for this." Yan Dooku was at his bedside an instant later, and Obi-Wan could have sworn he didn't use the Force to enhance his speed.

"Just try to take me from my padawan's side," the elder Jedi vowed as he took up position on Obi-Wan's other side, resting his hand on that shoulder. Mace's lips quirked, and Yan Dooku growled, actually growled, "Just remember, Councilor, I have a few stories about you I could tell! Starting with a particular incident that happened about forty years ago, before you were chosen as a padawan. You do remember that, don't you, old friend?" Obi-Wan blinked, once more taken off guard by the difference between this Jedi Order and the one he grew up with. Especially when Asajj caught his eye and winked at him. So she was used to this, then?

Mace, however, drew his attention once more by saying a single word, "Nuerte." Nuerte? Obi-Wan wasn't familiar with that star system or planet. However, it had an interesting effect on his gr. . .on his former Master. Dooku actually flushed and his eyes slid over to Obi-Wan, gauging his reaction. When Obi-Wan only looked back at him with curiosity, he relaxed. However, that didn't stop Master Dooku from glaring at the Councilor, who just smirked. Shaking his head, Obi-Wan prepared to tell his story, trying to find the best place to start. . .he wasn't entirely sure where the beginning was, really. Perhaps start with that trip to Bandomeer? Yes. . .yes, that sounded appropriate.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

When Yoda returned a few minutes later, Anakin was still holding onto Obi-Wan as if he'd never let go, but now he was clutching his Master's hand. Leia was in Mace's arms, while Bant held Luke. The twins were removed from their father's arms, as Asajj was afraid they would be squished. Besides, she had the sense that Obi-Wan wanted them safely out of his arms. It was almost as if he wanted to protect them from what they would hear. A short time into his story, she understood completely. In this other reality, Obi-Wan was in danger of being sent to AgriCorps, as he wasn't chosen as a padawan and was quickly approaching his thirteenth birthday. It seemed he had 'anger issues,' and that observation led to Anakin observing, "But that doesn't make any sense! I mean, if you had anger issues, then you should have been one of the first one chosen!" Asajj cringed, even though she agreed with her younger brother.

Mace said quietly, "Agreed, but I see many differences between the Jedi Order which Obi-Wan remembers, and the one that actually exists. We recognized a few decades ago that it left too many Force-sensitive children vulnerable to the Dark Side, being sent away from their home in such a manner. And Anakin, stop interrupting your Master." Anakin just ducked his head, flushing, a reaction which evidently surprised Obi-Wan. He looked back and forth between Mace and Anakin for several moments, obviously wanting to ask a question, but just as obviously not knowing how to ask that question. So, he told them about Xanatos, the mission to Bandomeer and the early days of his apprenticeship to Qui-Gon Jinn. Asajj didn't know her 'brother' padawan well. . .she was fifteen when he was killed on Naboo, and her Master largely kept her away from him. It seemed that he was broken by the events on Telos in both realities, although those events were different in the two universes. In their reality, the Council considered Xanatos too vulnerable for the mission to Telos, while Master Jinn was sure that the boy would be fine. She wasn't sure what broke him. . .the actual events or being wrong.

In any event, as in their own reality, Obi-Wan was sent with his Master to Melida/Daan. He developed feelings for the leader of the Young, Cerasi, and remained behind to fight at her side. Master Jinn left with the injured Master Tahl, but returned for his errant padawan, who was placed on probation. Cerasi, in both realities, died, but in her death were found the seeds of peace. Asajj rolled her eyes at this phrase, but understood what was meant. There was far more to peace than the cessation of fighting. It was a pity more individuals didn't understand that.

There were missions and issues, including Master Tahl's death a few years later. . .which resulted in Master Jinn nearly going Dark Side. (Somehow, that didn't surprise her) Of course, in this universe, Master Tahl was very much alive, and Bant concluded her apprenticeship under her. And then. . .and then, there was the Naboo mission. He was still a padawan in that reality, whom his Master recommended for knighthood in an off-hand manner, so he could train the Chosen One (or whom he assumed to be the Chosen One), Anakin Skywalker. While she technically no longer had a bond to Master Yan, she felt his rage when that was mentioned. And he wasn't just angry at the manner of this recommendation, she could tell, but the matter of fact way Obi-Wan mentioned it.

This, of course, caused a rupture between Obi-Wan and Jinn, for which Obi-Wan later apologized (of course). Jinn died on Naboo, but not before extracting a promise from Obi-Wan to train Anakin, a boy about whom Obi-Wan had very valid concerns. But he was dying, and all in the room were quite sure that boy would have said anything to please his Master. And so, a very young Master, a Padawan only a day before, began the training of a very powerful child, who was in some ways too old to be trained. He had an additional obstacle, in the form of Chancellor Palpatine. No one in that reality knew it, but he was a Sith Lord. . .the Sith Lord. Asajj didn't miss the glance that passed between Mace and Yoda. They would be investigating that. Even though there were large differences between the two realities, they would be remiss indeed if they didn't at least consider the possibility that Sheev Palpatine was indeed Sidious.

Obi-Wan told them about the reunion of Anakin and Padme, now a senator of twenty-four (and just as much of a nitwit as her counterpart in this reality, so far as Asajj was concerned. Actually, the Padme in the other reality sounded dumber). He told them of Jango Fett, and the beginning of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan's capture at the hands of the Separatists, led by 'Count' Dooku; he told them about the creation of the clones, the torture and murder of Anakin's mother on Tatooine, and Palpatine's manipulations, as well as the wedding between Padme and Anakin. His smile widened as he talked about the growing closeness between Anakin and Obi-Wan, even as Anakin hid his marriage from his Master.

A glance at Anakin told her just how sick her little brother was feeling. She felt the same way when Obi-Wan mentioned her own counterpart in that other reality. Really, saying she felt sick was something of an understatement. . .murderous rage was a lot closer. How dare that bitch who wore her face torture Obi-Wan? How dare she! Anakin's free hand slid into her own. She was grateful for it a moment later, when Obi-Wan told them of the maggots she forced him to eat. She couldn't help herself. Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and the hand on his shoulder moved to his midsection, rubbing gently as if to take that agony away.

And all through it, Obi-Wan continued to recite in that odd voice, as if he wasn't really there. Maybe he wasn't. He was probably in shock, but right now, Asajj wasn't employing any of her skills as a healer. Right now, she was a wife and a mother, and the Force help whoever did this to her husband when she got her hands on them! Across Obi-Wan's body, her former Master caught her eye and shook his head very slowly. His meaning was clear, 'take care of Obi-Wan now, deal with his tormentors later.' She nodded and he relaxed. But she noticed, he never removed his hand from Obi-Wan's shoulder. They, all three of them, never lost contact with Obi-Wan.

It was just as well, because the most horrifying part of the tale was yet to come. Anakin's Fall, the issuing of Order Sixty-six, Obi-Wan's brush with death when his own men fired upon him, the murder of the younglings and crèchelings (a tale which drew tears from everyone in the room, including that most stoic of Jedi, Mace Windu), the confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar, Padme Amidala's death on Polis Massa and the birth of the twins (and again, the idea of Padme Amidala as the mother of her twins was enough to make Asajj furious). For the first time since his recitation began, Obi-Wan came out of his trance-like state, his eyes focusing on Asajj. She didn't think he was aware of the tears sliding down his face. But it didn't matter.

He whispered hoarsely, "Promise me something, Asajj. If nothing else, if this is real, promise me this. . .regardless of what happens to me, never stop fighting. Never stop fighting for yourself, never stop fighting for the twins. I won't ask you to promise not to die, but at least promise that you won't stop fighting for them. They need you, Asajj. They need you so much. Can you do that, can you promise me that you'll never give up on life?" Asajj took his closest hand and raised it to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. If nothing else, she could assure him of this. 'Give up' had never been part of her vocabulary, she wouldn't add it now.

"I swear to you, on the graves of my parents, on the souls of our children, that I will never stop fighting for myself, for you, or for our children. To my very last breath, I will fight!" she answered in a low, fierce voice. She kissed his knuckles again, and he closed his eyes, blinking back tears. After that, they learned of Darth Vader, of Leia going to Alderaan with Bail Organa, and Obi-Wan's exile on Tatooine, where he watched over Luke in silence. They learned of his death at the hands of Darth Vader (a story which drew a choked sob from Anakin), and the reunion of the twins, of Luke's heartbreak after his confrontation with Vader at Bespin, when he learned that his father Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader, and the rescue of Han Solo on Tatooine.

But even with the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, with his choice to save Luke from the Emperor, the dark legacy continued with Leia's son Jacen. It was at that point that Obi-Wan's voice failed him. He made a tiny, distressed noise in the back of his throat and Anakin's arms tightened around him once again, Niki whispering, "I'm so sorry, Master, I'm so sorry! Shhh, shhh, no, it wasn't your fault. . .I know you, remember? I love you, Master, I love you so much, and I'll never let that happen again."

Anakin, it seemed, understood that even if it hadn't happened, those horrifying events were still real to Obi-Wan. Asajj was struggling to come to terms with that herself. And a glance around told her that everyone else was in the same situation. Master Yan's hand was opening and closing on Obi-Wan's shoulder, his jaw working convulsively. Even Master Yoda seemed to be having a hard time releasing his emotions into the Force. But it was Mace Windu, Leia still in his arms, who strode forward and put a comforting hand on Obi-Wan's leg, saying softly, "We will never let that happen. The Temple will not fall, and the younglings will not die. Things are different, Obi-Wan, and it's time you found out just how different. I have told you some of it. . .now I will tell you the rest."

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

"Sir, your brother-in-law is here. . .shall I show him inside?" his secretary asked over his personal comm. He ran his hand over his hair, blinking in astonishment at both the time and at his secretary's words. He pinched himself, just to make sure he was awake, and then hastily answered in the affirmative. He may be the head of the company, but she was the one who actually ran things. Moreover, he was smart enough to know that. A few minutes later, his secretary (a particularly lovely Twi'lek) showed the man in question into his office. The man felt his eyebrows lift into his hairline. First, his brother-in-law was clearly in trouble (not that this surprised him). Second, he wasn't alone, something his secretary didn't mention. However, he supposed he should have guessed as much. He rose to his feet and greeted both of his guests. This wasn't a social visit. His brother-in-law's expression told him as much.

He wasn't expecting company, much less while he was at the Coruscant office of Off-World. . .but his current guest(s) thrived on doing the unexpected. Xanatos smiled, half in amusement and half in bemusement, as he stared at his late sister's husband, especially after the other man admitted that he was there because he needed his help. Well, well. Wasn't this an interesting situation. He hadn't wanted his baby sister to marry. . .ever, if he was honest. . .but Xanatos really didn't want her to marry this man. On the other hand, his dear little sister always did have a mind of her own. It was, he had to admit, a rather large part of her charm, so far as Xan was concerned.

The real irony, of course, was that he feared her husband's occupation would get her killed, but it was her blood that took her life. . .the blood that differed from that of her unborn child, something that was discovered too late in her pregnancy. It never occurred to him to hold that child accountable. He supposed he could have blamed her widower for failing to get proper care for her, but he knew his little sister. She would never interrupt her husband while he was on a lead. And in the end, it would do no good. These two individuals were all he had left of his sister. He and her widower would never be friends, but family was family. On the other hand, there was something to be said for keeping certain members of your family apart. Such as your late sister's husband and your wife, especially if the latter had just come back from the Senate.

"Uncle Xan, you used to be a Jedi. . .they're not all bad, are they?" his sister's greatest legacy asked, interrupting his thoughts about a confrontation between Padme and this youngling's father. Xanatos drew his attention back to the child, who was regarding him with a curious expression. Odd. He never remembered the youngster asking a question about his past as a Jedi before. Just as strangely, the boy's father looked almost embarrassed. How very. . . entertaining, to say nothing of curious. He almost never saw the other man embarrassed. This might just be worth calling Padme from the Senate. . .if not for her sake, then for his own. And it might also be the reason why his brother-in-law was coming here to ask for help.

"No, Boba, not all of them bad. I would say, most of them are not bad. At worst, most of even the bad Jedi are misled or misguided, as opposed to simply evil. And then, there are some who are very good. For example, that young man whom we rescued from Rattarak just a few days ago, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is a very good Jedi, and a very good person," Xan replied. . .and saw his nephew's eyes light up. Hmmm. Interesting. Very interesting indeed. His former brother-in-law actually cringed. However, Xan addressed his question to his nephew, "You know whom Obi-Wan is, don't you? Not just from the HoloNet, but you've actually met him…haven't you?"

Jango Fett growled, low in his throat, and that was all the confirmation Xanatos needed, along with the tiny flinch from his nephew. He ignored his brother-in-law's reaction, however, and focused on his nephew. He was sure that his sister would forgive him for ignoring her widower, under these circumstances, and especially since he knew Jango would cut off his right hand before he would ever deliberately hurt the child. Right now, Boba needed reassurance from him. What was said in the next hour would be very important indeed. Perhaps even galaxy-changing. Xan cupped the little boy's face in his hands, seeing Boba's mother in a thousand different ways, and whispered, "You're the one who helped to save him. . .you sent that signal to the Jedi. No, don't be afraid, Boba. . .you see, I piloted the ship that went to Rattarak to rescue him. And it was my ship that Anakin Skywalker carried him onto once he and Asajj Ventress-Kenobi freed him. So you see, we saved him together. I saved him because I like him very much. But why did you save him?" Admittedly, saying that they saved him together wasn't entirely true, but Master Qui-Gon always said truth depended on one's point of view. And right now, his main concern was reassuring Boba.

"He took care of me, Uncle Xan," Boba said earnestly, "when Dad was away, I found where he was being held, 'cause they were chasing me." Jango's head reared up at that, as if he hadn't heard that before. He probably hadn't. And with his customary innocence, Boba continued, "They hurt him, Uncle Xan…they beat him, but he still talked to me, still was nice to me." Xan tried not to smile, because he knew Obi-Wan Kenobi, knew how the young Jedi was about children. No doubt, he missed his own son and daughter, and in typical Obi-Wan fashion, his heart went out to the worried little boy. You'd be so proud of your son, Alazne, he thought, so very proud of him. Despite his father's profession, Boba hadn't lost his curiosity or his compassion for others.

"Boba, you never told me that," Jango stated, but Xan could hear the fear in his voice. Not surprisingly, the little boy looked away, but the head of Off-World didn't think it was out of fear or embarrassment. The Mandalorian bounty hunter closed his eyes, murmuring, "You chose the lesser of two evils. . .they told you that they would hurt one of us if you told me that part. That was why you were so insisted about taking food to Kenobi. . .why you were so insistent that we take care of him. Not only did he protect you from them, he gave you hiding places when you were being chased." Boba just hung his head, and Xan drew him into a hug. He had a new reason for wanting to call Padme back from the Senate, but he wouldn't do that. No. . .no, this she couldn't know about.

Instead, he looked at his brother-in-law, who said hoarsely, "I've gotten us into an ugly fix, Xan. Not even I knew how ugly it was until now. I was hired by a hooded figure, callin' himself 'Darth Sidious.' He wanted us to retrieve Kenobi from the crash site and take him to a secure location." Xan nodded, keeping a comforting arm around his nephew's shoulders. He had a feeling it would be necessary, as the boy's father continued, "He knew. Sidious knew I hated the Jedi, knew about Galidraan, and when he told me that Kenobi was Dooku's apprentice, that was all I needed to know. I know, he was your grandmaster, I know you think he's a good man, but. . ."

"He is a good man, Jango, but we won't discuss that right now," Xan replied, going on to explain, "Boba, there was a time when it looked like Obi-Wan might be my little brother. My grandmaster ended up taking him as a padawan instead of my former master, but I've always had a soft spot for him. And now, knowing that he took care of you, I'm even more proud of him. But there's something you both need to know about the man for whom you were working, Jango. Not just about what he did to Obi-Wan, but whom he is. Darth Sidious is a Sith. . .and I know I don't have to tell you what that means."

Evidently not, judging from the way Jango actually blanched. Unfortunately, Xan wasn't finished. He continued, "You know he'll figure out that you helped to free Obi-Wan, and when he does, he will not stop until you're dead." Xan was stating the obvious. He knew that. But it needed to be said. Boba probably already realized that their shared nemesis was trouble of a very deadly kind, but he had to know for certain. While he was all for protecting children, only bad things occurred when you shielded them. Besides, Boba was not your typical ten-year-old. He couldn't afford to be, not when his father was a bounty hunter and his uncle was the head of Off-world.

He was reminded of this when the little boy's brown eyes narrowed and he growled, sounding remarkably like his father, "I'll kill any of 'em myself if they try to hurt you or Dad, Uncle Xan!" It was ironic. . .it was his job, and Jango's job, to protect this little boy, to take care of him. And yet, Boba was fully prepared (at least he thought) to protect them. Children never failed to amaze him. He exchanged a look with Jango, who was staring at Boba with the same wonder, and for the first time since Alazne's death, they were in full agreement about something other than Boba. They would both die before they allowed any harm to come to this little boy. . .and they would take Sidious down, or die trying.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It was decided, since he was the one who knew the whole story, that Yan would be the one who told Obi-Wan the whole story, with Yoda and Mace chipping in ever so often. Looking at his former padawan's exhausted, tear-stained face, Yan wanted to wait, wanted him to rest. The trouble was, he knew his boy well enough to realize Obi-Wan couldn't rest. Not now, not when he had been promised the full story. And so, he settled himself at his boy's feet, lightly resting his hand on his ankles. Anakin and Asajj took up flanking position, each taking a hand and holding it between their own.

He began, "The first thing you need to understand, Obi-Wan, is that I am responsible for many of the events over the last thirty-five years. Not all of them, perhaps not even most, but for many. And that's both a good thing, and a bad thing. It begins after I was seriously injured on a mission. It was my own foolishness that caused my injury, but as Healers do, they fought to save my life. It was not so easily saved, because I had no desire to live. In my selfishness, I decided life had nothing to offer me. I had fallen in love and from that love came a child, who was born six months before my injury. My beloved died in childbirth, and thus, our son was placed in the crèche. He had a very high midichlorian count, and would likely become a Jedi."

Before Obi-Wan was taken, he had known all of this. Yan told him, of course, and while it strained their relationship briefly, they emerged all the stronger on the other side. Based on what he heard during the last few minutes, while Obi-Wan was telling them about that other reality, where he had been Yan's grandpadawan, Yan had a feeling the boy would be shocked. . .and considering how fragile he was right now, it might even cause a relapse. But he also knew he couldn't afford to hold anything back, not if he wanted his boy to trust him as he trusted him once.

Thus, he continued, "I was dying. I would have died, I wanted to die. But the Force had other ideas, and used two rather unusual tools to ensure my survival. One was a thirteen-year-old Padawan. . .the other was my six-month-old son. The Force instructed that child to pick up my little one and bring him to me. Imagine, Obi-Wan, that child, that frightened young padawan who was caught between the possible wrath of his Master and the Crèche Master, and what the Force was oh so clearly instructing him to do. But he called upon his courage, and did what the Force wanted him to do. He took my son from the crèche and brought him to me, placing him at my side. And I lived. Not because of the Healers, though their efforts were considerable, but because of my son. That small action changed everything. Not just in terms of rethinking the Code, but in terms of our listening to the Force."

"Everything we thought we knew. . .changed. All of our illusions were shattered, the dreams we never dared to voice were suddenly possible. It was a strange time, Obi-Wan, for all of us. And not everyone liked or approved of those changes. Some Jedi went mad. Some even Fell. . .there was too much too soon, I suppose, though the elder Masters and Knights tried to take things slowly. To many, it seemed as if things were moving too slowly. To others, it was much too fast. But one change very few argued with was the changes in the AgriCorps. While the Exploration Corps remained in place, options were found for those children who weren't right for that unit," Mace said softly.

"There were other changes, subtle changes. My little boy was returned to the crèche, but I was allowed to see him. Time passed, and Knights and Masters were permitted to take younger Initiates. However, as I mentioned, I took you as my padawan a few months after your twelfth birthday," Yan told the young Knight. He chose not to speak of Qui-Gon Jinn's insistence that the youngling could have saved him, or the ugliness that could have followed, had Mace not intervened. That was something Obi-Wan could remember on his own. Right now, he had no wish to speak ill of the dead.

He made certain to tell his former padawan about Telos as well as Melida/Daan, observing, "This will be important for you to know. You mentioned the mission to Melida/Daan and as I told you, we did have a mission to that planet. But when Qui-Gon took Tahl off planet, as I believe I mentioned, I remained behind with you. I've never forgotten that moment. You looked up at me, your eyes so pleading, and told me, 'we have to stay, Master, we have to help them.' And I knew you were right. I held you after Cerasi died in your arms, and I held you again when we returned to the Temple, because Master Jinn tried to lie about the reason we stayed on the planet."

Well, so much for not speaking ill of the dead. . .and that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say in front of Anakin, especially since the boy was so terribly protective of his Master. Or Asajj, for that matter. However, both were distracted when Obi-Wan asked in a strangled voice, "You. . .you stayed with me on Melida/Daan? I didn't abandon you?" The poor boy sounded shell-shocked, and for that, Yan could hardly blame him. And he certainly couldn't blame him for forgetting what Yan already told him about Melida/Daan. He made eye contact with the young man and very slowly shook his head. From the corner of his eye, he could see Anakin's bright eyes flashing with anger.

"No, child. You have never been anything less than an exemplary padawan. And I have always been incredibly proud of you. You have never disappointed me, you have never failed me, you have never abandoned me," Yan replied firmly, not at all irritated that he was repeating things he already told his former padawan since he awakened. Unfortunately, he thought, the same can't be said of me. I should have been with him when he went to Naboo with Qui-Gon. Not because he couldn't be without me, but because that entire mission went to the Sith entirely too quickly. . .both literally and figuratively speaking.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Asajj observed. Why did Yan suddenly have the feeling that he shouldn't have brought up Melida/Daan, or should have waited until it was just Obi-Wan and himself? The young woman asked, "Why would Master Jinn lie about the reason for you and Obi-Wan to remain behind? I've heard this story dozens of times, but I've never asked the reason for it. Why would he lie to anyone, what reason could he have had to even discuss the mission?" Oh yes. That was why.

"Answer that, we can. Very disturbed, Master Jinn was. Needed a Soul Healer, he did. Learned this when he returned, we did," Master Yoda replied. While Yan was grateful to his former mentor to mentioning this, when Yan said much of the last few years were his responsibility, he meant it. Evidently, Yoda could still read his expressions, for he added most severely, "Not just your responsibility, it is! Seen his need, we should have. Gone through that, your padawan never should have!"

"What Yoda is trying to say is, Master Jinn saw Obi-Wan and Yan remaining on Melida/Daan as no different from Xanatos leaving the Jedi after the events on Telos. He needed a Soul Healer, and had for several years. After the debacle on Telos, and Xanatos' departure from the Order, the Council put Qui-Gon on probation for several years, not allowing him to take another padawan. However, we were treating the symptoms, rather than the disease. It was only after he started visiting the Soul Healer that he began to recover. We failed Qui-Gon as much as we failed Xan," Mace observed.

"Which brings us up to Naboo. You were knighted at the age of twenty-three, Obi-Wan, and I took Asajj as my padawan a short time after that. I planned to continue teaching, of course, but we were on a mission to Rattarak after the Order received a weak signal from the planet. There, we found Asajj. . .an emotionally shattered and very ill young girl whose Jedi Master had just died in her arms. We buried her Master, Ky Narec, and brought her back to the Temple, where I took her as my padawan. When you were twenty-five standard years old, Qui-Gon asked my blessing to take you on the Naboo mission, since you were already developing quite the reputation as a diplomat," Yan told his former padawan. Anakin perked up, since that was where he came in.

Yan simply rolled his eyes at his grandpadawan, explaining, "The diplomatic mission quickly turned into a rescue mission. . .you and Qui-Gon commandeered a pair of fighters after the Trade Federation representatives tried to kill you, and descended to Theed, where you rescued the child-queen, and left the planet. Before your mission, however, the Chancellor at that time, Finis Valorum requested the Jedi implant a padawan among Amidala's handmaidens. If nothing else, he reasoned, it would allow the Jedi to assist if his worst fears regarding the Trade Federation came to pass. It did so."

"Most of what you described came to pass. However, you accompanied Qui-Gon when you landed on Tatooine, since Asajj remained behind on the ship, and thus, you and he met Anakin at the same time. A bond formed between the two of you. So when Anakin was brought to our attention, it was clear that you were meant to be his master. We had precedence in Asajj, who was thirteen when she reached the Temple. And as you described in the reality you remember, you and Qui-Gon returned to Naboo with the young queen. . .you fought the Sith who killed Qui-Gon, and who nearly ended your own life," Mace again picked up the narrative.

"So many changes," Obi-Wan marveled in a soft voice, "so many changes, all because of two children." Indeed. There was still much to tell his boy, but they needed to let him process everything they had told him so far. There were many parallels between the reality he had seen while he was a captive and the true reality, enough to unnerve Yan. They unnerved Mace and Yoda as well, as he could tell when he looked at the two Councilors. However, there was one more revelation which had to be told, and Obi-Wan unwittingly provided that opening when he asked in total innocence, "And your son? Whatever became of him, can you see him often?"

"Oh yes, my dear boy," Yan replied almost thickly, his throat threatening to close up in this moment when he needed his voice the most, "Yes, I do. I'm looking at him right now. Obi-Wan. . .I am your father." He should have expected it, should have found a better way of breaking the news to him. Even so, his heart sank just a little when his son's face paled, his eyes rolled up in his head, and his body went limp against the mattress. Well, he thought with a quiet sigh, that could have gone better. However, it could have also gone worse.

TBC


	6. A Matter of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan learns more about his family in this reality; some of the more traditional Jedi allies are briefed on Obi-Wan's condition, and Anakin makes a call home.

To say that Obi-Wan's faint caused a fair amount of consternation among the Jedi gathered in the room would have been akin to saying that his wife didn't like Padme Amidala. . .it was a serious understatement. As he slumped back against the pillows, eyes rolling up in his head, it was anyone's guess who moved fastest. . .Yan, Anakin, or Asajj. Honestly, there were times when those three were so predictable, it was painful! However, Bant shooed away all three, making sure it was nothing more than a simple faint. She doubted it was serious, but she wouldn't be Bant if she didn't check.

Obi-Wan was not unconscious long, much to the relief of all. That didn't stop Yoda from chastising Yan, however, reminding him that Obi-Wan was still fragile in many ways. On the other hand, Mace had to acknowledge that there really was no good way of telling Obi-Wan that his former Master was also his father, especially given what he thought was reality. The young man said a bit groggily, "Don' be mad at him, Mas'er Yoda. Wasn' his fault. Sorry for. . ." He shook his head, as if to clear it, and tried to sit up, only to find Asajj and Anakin practically sitting on top of him.

Mace bit back a smile, seeing the somewhat stunned expression on the young Knight's face as he looked from Asajj to Anakin and back again. He cleared his throat, ever so slightly, and the two eased away. Not backed off. . .never that. . .simply gave him a little more breathing room. Obi-Wan relaxed and tried again, now saying more clearly, "I'm sorry. I hope all of you can forgive me." Mace wasn't sure if he should smile or shake the younger man until his teeth rattled, and chose to smile. . .that was so very Obi-Wan. Receive a serious shock, and then apologize for being shocked.

"Nothing to forgive, there is. An uncommon shock, you had," Yoda replied, immediately ending his lecture to hobble over to one of his favorite students. The Grandmaster of the Order stared at Anakin and Asajj, both of whom were blushing, and then asked, "Contacted your mother, have you, Padawan Skywalker?" Mace saw the confusion in Obi-Wan's eyes as he mouthed, 'mother?' That was nothing compared to the expression on Anakin's face, that classic 'oh, kriff! I can't believe I forgot that' expression, right before the padawan bolted from the room. His grandpadawan's antics brought a smile to Yan's worried face, though he continued to watch Obi-Wan with concern.

"Shmi Skywalker is alive?" Obi-Wan asked almost warily. Asajj nodded, covering his hand with her own. Obi-Wan swallowed hard and whispered, sounding worried, "She's all right? Did Tusken Raiders on Tatooine ever capture her? There may still be a chance here. . ." His voice trailed off as Asajj covered his mouth with her hand. His eyes were very wide over her covering hand. . .but he made no move to remove it. Mace exchanged a look with Yoda. That was promising. . .even if his mind didn't remember his marriage to Asajj, it seemed some parts of his memory remained. The Grandmaster took up position beside Obi-Wan, alongside Asajj. Well, that was an unlikely partnership, even in the changed Jedi Order.

"Well. . .yes. Shmi Skywalker Lars was captured by a tribe of Tusken Raiders a few years ago. Anakin and I snuck out of the Temple, returned to Tatooine and rescued her. It took her time to recover, but she's all right now," Asajj replied. Yoda glowered at her, but true to form, Asajj stood her ground. Yoda had never scared her. . .she respected him, certainly, but she had never been afraid of him, nor did she revere him as so many who spent most of their early life in the Temple did. She continued, "Her step-son, Owen, married Beru Whitesun not long after she was strong enough to fuss at Anakin and her husband Cliegg. She and Cliegg wanted to come to Coruscant after you were taken, but they found out that Beru was pregnant."

As she spoke, she began stroking her husband's hair tenderly. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, sighing with contentment. That was fine. . .just as long as he didn't start purring. It did happen on occasion when Asajj stroked his hair. Even so, Mace smiled, glad to see the young man relaxing. The poor man had been hit with one revelation after another over the last several hours, and while almost all of them were good. . .they were still a shock. Yan remained silent ever since his son awoke, no doubt fearing that he would say something to shock Obi-Wan all over again. Unfortunately, it was likely that such a thing would happen, regardless of how hard they tried to spare Obi-Wan.

Asajj continued, "Beru's pregnancy was difficult, and as much as Shmi wanted to come to Coruscant for Niki, she knew that Beru needed her more. However, the baby has been born, and Shmi told Anakin that he was to contact her once we got you back. He didn't at the time, because you hadn't awakened and Niki wanted as much information before he called her. Then when you did awaken, he just. . ." With her free hand, she gestured a bit helplessly. Mace rolled his eyes. Despite her years with the Jedi, she was as likely as Anakin to talk with her hands. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as she wasn't angry at the time.

"Forgot," Yan supplied helpfully, and Asajj sent her father-in-law and former Master a somewhat poisonous look. However, Mace's old friend didn't back down, adding, "It's true enough, child, and you know it. I'm not blaming the boy. . .we were all so pleased to have Obi-Wan home, there were some duties that went undone. I just hope Shmi isn't on the first transport here to take care of Obi-Wan herself. That will lead to some interesting conversations, I'm sure. It always has." Oh, please. . .don't let Obi-Wan ask about what his father just said, please let it go without comment. . .

"Why would Shmi want to take care of me? We only met the one time on Tatooine, didn't we?" Obi-Wan asked innocently. Sithspit. Mace should have known it wouldn't be that easy. It never was with this family. Both Asajj and Yan began to answer, but it was Mace's turn to use the Poisonous Glare. Obi-Wan had just regained consciousness from fainting. . .they would handle this properly, rather than blurting out the entire story! They had to allow the poor Knight some time to process everything they had learned so far. Both wife and father subsided a bit sheepishly.

"Taken very good care of her only child, you have. Only reason, she needs," Yoda observed, patting his knee gently. Asajj smiled ruefully, and the Grandmaster continued, "Now, rest! Leave you with your children and wife, we will. Send your father back to you, we will. Confer with friends, we must." He patted Obi-Wan's knee again, nodded to Asajj, and then left the room. Mace and Yan exchanged a look, and then followed, Mace placing Leia in her mother's arms as he did. There was really nothing for it, but to do as the little green troll said (and yes, even Mace called him that on occasion).

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Kriff, kriff, oh kriff, Mom is so gonna kill me! So ran the thoughts of the Padawan who careened out of the Healer's Wing, almost losing his footing a number of times. He promised to contact her as soon as they found Master Obi-Wan, she would kill him, even if she understood that he wanted to wait until Master Obi-Wan was awake, she still was gonna kill him! And Asajj would help her, because she viewed Mom as a second mother after they rescued her from the Tusken Raiders a few years earlier. . . oh kriffing kriff!

Anakin Skywalker sped down the hall to the apartment he shared with his Master, frantically calculating whether his mother and stepfather were still awake. Beru was probably asleep and hopefully, so was the baby. Huh. He had a niece. Well, yeah, he didn't know Owen very well, but Mom loved him, and his dad had been good to Anakin's mom. Beru, though, was a sweet girl, and maybe if he stayed on Tatooine, he would have ended up marrying her or someone like her. He hoped not, though. Beru deserved better. . .someone who wasn't restless like Anakin.

He set up the comm, punched in the code which he and Master set up to get past that giant slug Jabba (among others), and only seconds later after it was sent, his mother was peering at him and asked, "Ani? Is everything all right?" Well, she looked fully awake. Mom smiled at him, adding, "Not that anything has to be wrong for you to call me. Has there been any word of Obi-Wan?" Anakin wondered briefly if Master Yoda or Master Mace informed Chancellor Palpatine that Master Obi-Wan was safe and awake. He hoped not. The chancellor seriously creeped him out, always trying to send off Master Obi-Wan on some errand and talking up Anakin at the same time. Ew.

"I'm sorry, Mom. . .Master Obi-Wan is home now. I know, I promised to contact you, but it's a long story. We got a lead a couple of days ago, between a weird signal coming from Asajj's home planet and dreams that Luke was having. He's home, and he's awake, and Mom, I'm really scared," Anakin admitted, the words flooding out of him in a rush, as they always did when he was trying to hold back his fear and rage. He didn't dare tell Asajj. . .she was carrying a heavy enough burden as it was, especially after hearing about what her counterpart did to Obi-Wan in the other reality. He was having a hard time with his own deeds, but he wouldn't tell his mother about that. He couldn't tell her. . .just like Asajj, Mom had enough to deal with right now.

"Oh, sweeting. . .Anakin, listen to me. Cliegg, Owen, Beru and I will be on the first transport to Coruscant with Vashti. Beru and Vashti are both fine, and Cliegg has been worried sick about Obi-Wan. But you must tell me what's happened to him, so I can prepare Cliegg," Shmi Skywalker Lars replied firmly. Anakin blinked back tears and began telling his mother about finding Obi-Wan unconscious on Rattarak and of the machine responsible for the nightmare in Obi-Wan's mind. He told her about what Obi-Wan saw and experienced in the Other World, how he remembered very little about his real life, and because he couldn't keep secrets from his mom, about his own argument with Padme on the way back to Coruscant.

Finally, he concluded, fighting back tears, "They beat him, Mom! They beat him and hurt him so badly, and I hurt him in the Other World, too. We all did. . . Asajj, Grandmaster Dooku, me. . .but I killed babies, Mom, babies in the crèche and younglings!" So much for not telling his mother about that, but it was too late to worry about that now. Poison was being lanced from a wound in his heart, and he rasped out, "How do we convince him that it didn't happen, that we won't let it happen? Poor Master is scared and confused, and I don't blame him, but I don't know how to make things right for him, either! He even fainted when Grandmaster Dooku told him that he was Master's father!"

His mother was very quiet for several moments, while Anakin composed himself. He brushed his tears away with his thumbs, feeling like a child again, running to his mother for comfort and reassurance. At last, his mother said softly, "We'll have to be very careful, Ani. As you've said, nothing is as he remembers it, and if he reacted that way to learning that Yan is his father, the revelations about his mother will be almost as shattering. I. . .I'm going to tell Cliegg everything you've told me. We'll be on the first transport to Coruscant. Until we get there, I want you to take very good care of him, Anakin. I have a feeling he needs you now more than ever."

The words reassured Anakin, as they were meant to. Not the admonishment to look after Master Obi-Wan, because he knew that already. . .but Mom's promise to be on the first transport to Coruscant. Not for the first time, Anakin wondered how she did that and if it was something all moms knew how to do. He would have to talk to Asajj, see what she had to say. Or maybe not. The twins were still awfully young, after all, and Asajj was still a relatively new mother. And it would have to wait, because Mom was right, and right now, Master Obi-Wan needed him. He took a deep breath and released it, nodding. Mom smiled at him and stated, "He'll be fine, Ani. Your Master is a very strong young man. We'll be there soon, and tell Obi-Wan that we love him."

Anakin nodded and reached forward to cut the transmission, but Mom added hastily, "Oh, and try to forgive the young senator? It's not her I'm worried about, but you." Anakin scowled. The trouble was, Mom was still thinking of Padme as the young girl who accompanied Master Jinn and Master Obi-Wan years earlier. She knew what happened between Anakin and Padme, but it wasn't real for her the way it was for Anakin. On the other hand, Anakin's stepfather understood exactly how he felt. Oh, there was an idea! An evil smile crossed the padawan's smile, and his mother sighed, "I was afraid of that. Just. . .be careful, Ani. I love you." And then, the transmission ended. Anakin sat back, twisting his padawan braid around his finger. He really didn't want anything to do with Padme, but in an encounter, he wouldn't antagonize her. Of course, if she started things, he would be more than happy to finish it. . . assuming, of course, that Asajj didn't beat him to it. And that was a dangerous assumption.

Rubbing his hands on his thighs, the boy rose to his feet and headed back to the Healer's Wing where his Master was resting. This time, he traveled at a much slower pace, nodding to people he probably almost ran over earlier. He had to figure out exactly how he would keep his promise. He said that he wouldn't let anyone ever hurt his Master again, but the problem was. . .well. . .how exactly did he keep that promise? Especially since he wasn't sure who wanted to hurt his Master, aside from Sidious. And then there was the matter of Master Obi-Wan being. . .well, Master Obi-Wan. He couldn't count the times when Master ended up taking care of Anakin, even when Anakin should have been taking care of him. Maybe he should say, 'especially when Anakin should have been taking care of him.' He would have to get Grandmaster's help, and Asajj's, but he wasn't really worried about that. The problem would be getting Grandmaster to relax, though he had a feeling Asajj would help with that.

For the first time, Anakin really thought about what it was it like for his Master, trying to understand how different everything was. Especially when, in the Other World, they were enemies for a time? He shuddered, trying to wrap his mind around just how confusing this was for his poor Master. His Master and father was his enemy, his wife tortured him, and his padawan eventually killed him. . .after destroying everything that mattered to him. Anakin supposed that he should have felt some degree of sympathy for his alternate self. He didn't. . .in part because of what he had done, but also because he wasn't real. He was Anakin as he could have been, under different circumstances, but he wasn't real. Anakin Skywalker, the padawan who truly existed. . .was. The trouble, the boy realized, was in helping Master Obi-Wan to accept that.

It couldn't hurt, he decided, that Master wanted to believe that this was all real, that it was the Other World that was the false reality. He wanted to believe that. So, the next question was, what would make it easier for him to accept that truth. Unfortunately, no matter how Anakin looked at it, what was most necessary was time. . .and patience. The boy scowled. . .he was called a number of things over the course of his relatively short life, including several that weren't fit to be heard in 'polite' company, but 'patient' did not and never would top that list.

That means, he thought as he re-entered the room where his Master continued to rest and recover, that the only thing I can do for Master Obi-Wan right now, is take care of him and love him. . .oh, and tear apart whoever did this to him. Fortunately, those three things were all things at which he excelled. He just hoped he had the chance to take out Sidious before his Master was hurt again.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

"If you'll allow me to recap what has been revealed so far. . .Anakin Skywalker, Asajj Ventress, and Yan Dooku were all varying degrees of Sith; the clones turned on the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars; Anakin was married to Padme Amidala and the father of the twins. The Republic fell and a Galactic Empire took its place. Breha and I adopted Leia, and Alderaan was destroyed by the Galactic Empire," Bail Organa stated, lacing his fingers with those of his wife. The Jedi on the other side of the table inclined her head, and Bail released a breath, murmuring, "And this is the reality Obi-Wan knows."

Bail and Breha learned of Obi-Wan's rescue shortly after Xanatos' ship landed. They rejoiced and thought it was over. That, evidently, was their first mistake. Only an hour earlier, they received a comm from the Jedi Temple, requesting their presence for a meeting with certain members of the Jedi Council. . .and thus, they learned of their friend's ordeal.

"Indeed. You have always been a friend to the Order, Senator, and it is for this reason that you've been informed of this. More than that, you are a friend to Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the days and weeks ahead, as he recovers enough to have visitors, we wanted you to be aware of the situation as it stands, in the event he makes a statement that opposes what you know to be true. He is not insane or bereft of sense. . .rather, he is struggling to make sense of reality," Siri Tachi replied. She paused, dropped the guise of stoic Jedi Knight, and allowed the childhood friend to shine through, adding, "You need to understand, it is because you are his friends that you know of this before the Chancellor. He would be furious if he knew, but I'm not exactly acting on the Council's orders."

Ah. Not the entire Council was involved, then. Interesting. Very interesting, indeed. Breha observed, "That will scarcely make Palpatine happy. But I. . .we. . . thank you for informing us of this situation, Knight Tachi, and it is our dearest hope that your Force blesses our friend with a return to complete health. Speaking of which, what is his physical condition? Senator Amidala contacted us just before you did, explaining that it was her husband who piloted the rescue ship, and she thought it likely that he had been unconscious for the entirety of his captivity."

Tachi's eyes flashed briefly at the mention of the younger senator, but her expression remained neutral as she replied, "He is already recovering his health, your Majesty. If you and Senator Organa would like to visit, I am certain he would welcome that. However, I strongly recommend that you leave Princess Kerani¹ outside his room when you visit him." Wh. . .why? While their infant daughter had a tendency to spit up on people (as did most babies), Bail hardly thought it likely that Asajj would somehow harm the infant because of it. However, before he had the chance to ask, Yan Dooku, Master Yoda, and Mace Windu entered the room. The pleasantries were quickly out of the way, and the Knight explained how far they had gotten.

"Excellent news, that is," Master Yoda stated, "more information at our disposal, there is now." Bail and Breha had just enough time to exchange a glance, before they were informed of the new developments. When Mace Windu reached the part that involved Obi-Wan's reaction to the revelation that Yan Dooku was his father, it took all of Bail's considerable self-control to keep from laughing at his wife's muttered, 'I don't blame him there.' It wasn't entirely common knowledge. . .Yan made his fair share of enemies over the course of his life, and Obi-Wan was used far too often as bait and as a weapon against his Master during his padawan days (Bail had to wonder how different that was in the other reality mentioned by the Jedi).

That information remained largely unknown now, for more or less the same reasons. Certainly, Obi-Wan was an adult now, and a Knight. . .but there was still a danger to Luke and Leia, as Yan's grandson and granddaughter. Honestly, Bail had to wonder at the intelligence of anyone who would attack the grandchildren of a Jedi Master, and the children of two Jedi Knights, but such people did exist and likely always would. Master Windu observed, "For obvious reasons, we won't be disclosing the full story to the chancellor. The less that is known, the better we can protect the entire family. If word got out that Obi-Wan is amnesiac, for all intents and purposes. . ."

Bail shuddered, because his own thoughts had been heading in that direction, and Breha spoke for the first time, pointing out, "It sounds to me, Master Jedi, that you have no faith in the chancellor. Or is it something else?" The three Masters looked at each other, their expressions reflecting their discomfort. Breha eyed them warily, sensing the same thing Bail was. There was something more that their friends weren't telling them. It wasn't because they distrusted them. . .if that was the case, they wouldn't have the truth about Obi-Wan's condition. It seemed to Bail as if the trio was holding a conversation without saying a word aloud. Knowing the Jedi, that wasn't entirely unlikely.

At last, their attention was returned to Bail and Breha as Yan said quietly, "If you'll notice, the reality which my son viewed while he was a captive is a nightmarish version of our own. However, there are certain similarities, and there is something we wish to investigate." Ah. That explained a great deal. Yan continued, "It is not that we distrust you. However, this is truly a case where the less you know, the safer you and your daughter will be." Bail glared at the other man. That was playing dirty, invoking their desire to protect their child, but Yan Dooku was well acquainted with that feeling.

Breha stated, "You play dirty, Master Dooku." The older man merely raised his eyebrows, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. Oh yes. He fought dirty, he knew it, and in this situation, at least, he was proud of it. Bail's wife sighed and said with a small smile, "Then again, I cannot blame you. How did you know that my responsibility to the people of Alderaan didn't outweigh my responsibility as Kerani's mother?"

"I knew no such thing. However, I made the educated guess that you would see no difference between your responsibility to the people of Alderaan and your responsibility to your daughter. Indeed. . .the two are quite linked, just as my responsibility to Obi-Wan and my responsibility as a Jedi are linked," Yan replied. His smile turned melancholy as he added, "That was something that Obi-Wan's mother always stressed to me after she learned she was pregnant. By ensuring peace and justice within the galaxy, I was ensuring that peace and justice for my own son. Miya was one of the wisest people I ever met. . . proof indeed that wisdom has nothing to do with one's midichlorian count."

Breha lowered her eyes, and Bail flinched ever so slightly. Yan Dooku rarely spoke of the mother of his child, but it was quite evident that he never stopped loving her. No one outside the Jedi Order was sure how Miya Kenobi died, though before his capture, Obi-Wan told Bail that his mother died a few months after his birth. It seemed likely that her death was the trigger for his father's deep despair. He lost his son to the Order, his beloved Miya to death, was growing steadily disillusioned with the Jedi and the Republic, and had yet another encounter with his old nemesis Lorian Nod.

"Wise indeed, Miya was. Compassionate, she was also. The greatest gift she gave to her son, this was," Master Yoda said quietly, breaking the spell. His ears flattened against his skull as he continued, "When more information we have, you will know. But cautious, we must be." Well, yes, that went without saying, but. . . Mace Windu, however, was shaking his head slowly at Bail. There was something they were missing. Bail frowned thoughtfully, going over what he knew in his mind. However, Mace had other ideas. Of course. As usual.

"What Yoda means is. . .there was a particular reason why Obi-Wan was captured. Yes, he was protecting Senator Amidala, but it was he who has been captive for the last six months; and it was he who was shown this nightmarish vision of what could have been. There's a reason for that. One possible explanation is because he's the Master of the boy we believe to be the Chosen One. Another possibility is that an old enemy of Yan's learned the truth of their relationship and took him to use as a weapon against his father. But there is a reason. Until we know that reason, we must be both mindful. . .and careful," Mace said quietly.

Well, that was ominous. However, Bail sensed it was also quite true. And that led to the final question, which his wife asked, "And what is it that you wish for us to do, Master Jedi? You did not simply call us to the Temple to inform us of our dear friend's rescue, nor did you call us here to warn us to be careful or mindful, or even ask us not to ask too many questions. And so I ask you now. What is it, exactly, that you wish for us to do?"

For the first time, Bail saw Siri Tachi grin openly. But once more, it was Yan Dooku who replied, "Whatever you hear within these walls. . .do not repeat. Allow us to inform the Chancellor of what we can, when we can. Be prepared for anything. If we have further information you require, Knight Tachi will be sent to your apartment here on Coruscant. Above all. . .trust in us. Trust that we will do all within our power to see this threat neutralized, from whatever quarter it comes." It wasn't espionage. . .or treason. . .but a simple request for trust. True enough, there were times when trust wasn't so simple, but this was not one of those cases. And despite the path taken to get there, that was the request, at its heart. . .trust us. Just. . .trust us.

"That all goes without saying. We have never broken faith with the Jedi, just as the Jedi have never broken faith with us, and long may it be so," Breha stated firmly. There was a collective exhale as the three elder Jedi all relaxed, then Bail's wife asked, "Of course, you'll be speaking to Mon Mothma, and the other senators who are sympathetic to the Jedi?" This time, it was Mace Windu who inclined his head, and Breha clapped her hands, observing, "Excellent! Now, if there is no further political business to conduct, will someone please inform Knight Ventress-Kenobi that once this entire business is concluded, she is more than welcome to bring her poor husband, those darling twins, and Anakin to Alderaan for a desperately needed vacation?"

Breha's question, though quite serious, shattered the tension in the room. The two Human Jedi Masters both laughed, Tachi grinned, and Master Yoda hmmmed, his ears once more flattening against his skull, but there was a touch of merriment in his eyes. Breha grinned impishly and said, "Much better. There is still much work to be done, but my dear friends, we have reason to celebrate! A hero to this Republic has been returned to us, alive! Yes, he is damaged and yes, he will need time to heal, but he has been returned to us alive, and where there is life, there is hope!"

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Since his awakening, it seemed as if Obi-Wan Kenobi faced one jolt after another. . .and he was still processing those revelations. Most of these revelations were wonderful ones. Anakin was very much alive and very much in the Light, without any of the confusion, frustration, and such that marked his Anakin, or the Anakin whom he thought of as his. And his mother, whose death broke the boy, was also very much alive. Although he was still confused about why Shmi would be coming to Coruscant. He had a feeling he would find out soon enough. He just hoped he wouldn't faint again. That was terribly embarrassing.

And that brought him to another revelation. Yan Dooku was still a Jedi, and firmly in the Light; he was Obi-Wan's Master; and most stunning of all, he was Obi-Wan's father. Moreover, he, Obi-Wan, and Mace Windu were apparently at the heart of the change in the Jedi Order. He thought about the story he was told, of how Mace followed the direction of the Force by picking up Obi-Wan from his crèche crib and carried him to his critically-injured father. It seemed likely, based on what he had been told before he so regrettably lost consciousness, that his mother died sometime between his birth and Master Dooku's brush with death (and he could not yet get used to thinking of Master Dooku as his father. . .it was hard enough to think of him as his Master).

Mother. . .he was married to Asajj Ventress and they, not Anakin and Padme, were the parents of Luke and Leia. That was enough to make him want to pass out again, but judging from the way Bant was looking at him, that was a rather unwise idea. She held Luke in her arms, keeping the child's attention, but that could change in a moment. This Asajj wasn't just his wife, but she was also so incredibly. . .different. . .from the Asajj he knew, or thought he knew. She was a curious balance of a loving and compassionate Knight, wife, and mother. . .and a fierce lioness. Evidently, someone found her either before Ky Narec's death or right after (and they probably told him, but he was struggling to keep too many things straight), and her hatred toward the Jedi/longing to belong never became an issue.

Xanatos. . .things happened differently with Xanatos. Something different happened on the Telos mission, and while he was no longer a Jedi, he wasn't set on destroying the Order, either. Not only that, but he was married to Padme, and Anakin not only had no issue with that, he didn't even like her-something that Obi-Wan was having a very hard time comprehending. . .he wasn't sure how to deal with an Anakin Skywalker who wasn't in love or lust, or whatever you wanted to call it, with Padme Amidala Naberrie. Out of all the strange things that happened since he woke up (including Anakin bantering with Mace Windu, to say nothing of Master Yoda being openly affectionate), that was the strangest. How, exactly, did he react to an Anakin Skywalker, who didn't even like Padme Amidala?

The only things which were the same were Bant and the twins; aside from the fact that the twins were his children, rather than Anakin's. And speaking of Anakin. . . The boy practically imploded into the room, and Asajj observed archly, "Well, I see that you're still alive, bratling." For the second time, Anakin stuck his tongue out and Asajj answered, "No thanks. . .you're not my type. I prefer my men to have some hair on their face. Actually, I prefer men to boys. Anakin, you wake either of my children up, and they'll be cleaning up bits of you from the salle floor for the next standard year!"

"She's so mean to me, Master!" Anakin mock-whined and Obi-Wan had to laugh. The boy beamed and added, "Much better! I've missed seeing you smile, Master, I've missed hearing you laugh. Mom says to take care of you, and she'll be here with the whole family as soon as they can arrange transport from Tatooine: Cliegg, Owen, Beru, and baby Vashti. I've got another niece, can you imagine that? I hope you don't mind, Master, but I told them about what happened. Mom insisted, so she could prepare Cliegg. . .oh. You didn't know. Of course you didn't know, you wouldn't remember, and based on what you told us earlier, I bet you didn't know in the other universe, either."

"Know what? Why your mother would be so insistent on taking care of me? No, I'm afraid not. . .I think they're afraid I'll faint again. . .and I'm truly sorry for that, Anakin. I have so much I need to ask forgiveness for, both now and in the days ahead. There are so many things that are so very strange to me. But first. . .I hope I've been a good Master to you," Obi-Wan told the youngster now perched on the edge of his bed. Anakin's face darkened, but his hands were gentle as he took Obi-Wan's shoulders.

"I'll explain about Mom in just a minute, but first, I gotta address this. You have been the best Master anyone could ever want. And I know you were the best Master you could be to the other Anakin. He didn't deserve you," the boy answered. There was a quick glance between Asajj and Bant, and then the two women rose to their feet and carried the children from the room. That was something of a relief. And while Obi-Wan could sense the anger and the worry behind the words, there was none of the murkiness around Anakin's presence in the Force. He was very much like the little boy who was first brought to Coruscant from Tatooine in Obi-Wan's memories.

"I could have been a better Master. . .especially at the end, when I left you, when I left him," Obi-Wan rasped out, remembering that oh so painfully. The duel on Mustafar, begging Anakin not to make that leap, his own lightsaber spinning and removing Anakin's remaining limbs. This Anakin, the one sitting on his bed and grasping his shoulders, gave him a little shake, but Obi-Wan could still see the tears in the boy's eyes. Tears, but not hatred. . .not contempt. Only love and compassion and pain for what happened on that riverbank of lava.

"He deserves whatever you did to him, Master. No, don't interrupt me. You gotta hear this. Okay, you fought and relieved him of his limbs, and then he roasted on that bank. Too bad, so sad. I can't feel sorry for him, Master, for two reasons. First, he isn't real. It never happened, I never became that person. And if you had, then whatever sanity I had left wouldn't have blamed you. And the second reason I can't feel sorry for him? You took his limbs in a fight. . .he was more than capable of defending himself. He was stupid, and he paid the price. But those children he murdered, the ones in the crèche, the padawans, the Initiates? They never stood a chance. I feel sorry for them, or I would if they were real. If that was real, I would feel sorry for those whom he murdered!" Anakin said fiercely.*

Obi-Wan swallowed hard, whispering, "I left him to burn, Anakin, I didn't kill him. I don't know why, I thought he would die and I couldn't watch that, Padme and the babies were still in danger. . .I left him to die." Much to his mortification, there were tears running down his face, but he couldn't stop it. Not here, not now, not with this Anakin staring at him with such compassion and love. This Anakin, who folded him into his arms and held him tightly, as if Anakin was the Master and Obi-Wan the padawan…as Master Dooku held him so many times through the years, especially in their early weeks as Master and padawan.

Anakin whispered, "It didn't happen. And your first responsibility, in that situation, to the unborn babies. Not to the adults who made their decisions, knowing that the consequences could be ugly, but to the innocent babies, who didn't deserve to pay for their parents' mistakes." His grasp on Obi-Wan tightened as he murmured, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as many times as you need to hear it. I love you, Master. . .I love you so much. Those things you saw, never happened, and now that we know about them, we won't let them happen. Okay?" Obi-Wan nodded, a slight motion against Anakin's shoulder. The boy held him for a moment longer, then sat back.

Obi-Wan wasn't yet capable of speaking. . .it was a struggle, just to release his emotions into the Force. Anakin didn't expect him to speak, evidently. He just held onto Obi-Wan's shoulders, and chattered about nonsensical things for a few minutes. Things about Alderaan and Chandrila, about Tatooine and the Outer Rim, Telos and Naboo. He wanted to ask Anakin about what caused his rift with Padme, but wasn't quite ready to hear the answer to that. So he chose something he thought would be less jarring, asking, "You were going to tell me about your mother, and why she was coming here."

Anakin flushed, mumbling, "Uhm, yeah. . ." His words trailed off, and the Force was annoyingly vague about what was being said. Obi-Wan raised his brows questioningly, and Anakin sighed, muttered a few interesting Huttese curses under his breath, then said, "I'll probably be carved up for telling you this, but your imagination is scarier than Master Mace and Grandmaster's put together. You aren't just my Master, but my cousin. Sort of." Oh? Seeing his confusion, Anakin sighed, "Yeahhh, I'm a dead padawan. My stepfather, Cliegg? His real last name is Kenobi.² He changed it about thirty-six years ago, because his twin sister was killed due to her relationship with Jedi Master Yan Dooku. . .his second name, Lars, became his last name. His twin sister Miya was your mother, Master. . .so Mom is your aunt by marriage, and we're cousins. Sort of."

Just when he thought he was done with the shocks. . .

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¹Princess Kerani. . .I took a page out of GL's book, and found her name listed as a common Indian/Hindu feminine name. It means 'sacred bells.'
> 
> ²Yup, I decided to use that popular fanon notion, making Owen Lars and Obi-Wan brothers, and turn it completely on its head. They are now cousins, because Owen looked like a younger brother to Obi-Wan in the prequel movies. There may be more information about Miya Kenobi's death later in the story. . .I hope to have more, I'll put it that way. Miya's name is Japanese, and means 'sacred house.'
> 
> *Honestly, this is what I imagine a rational, but still passionate, Anakin would think about his doppleganger's actions. After all, he is still Anakin.


	7. Of Twins and Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin continues to brief Obi-Wan on their shared family; the Skywalker-Lars family begins to make its way to Coruscant; and we hear from the rulers of Alderaan.

Anakin Skywalker was more than a little relieved when his master didn't faint (again) after learning that Anakin's mother was his aunt. . .if only by marriage. On the other hand, his master's one fainting spell would provide him ammunition for teasing for years to come. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that he would have been a touch insulted (alright, more than just a touch) on his mother's behalf if Master Obi-Wan fainted again. On the other hand, he knew that it wouldn't have been meant as an insult and that it was a huge shock. Anakin had a hard time wrapping his mind around everything that was different. . .he imagined it was a hundred times worse for his poor Master. He tried again to imagine this awful world. . .galaxy. . .universe. . .which his Master thought was real. And once more, he failed miserably.

A universe where not only was he Luke and Leia's father, but married to Padme? Yes, he already covered that ground, the first and subsequent times he thought about it, but still! Where Asajj was seriously misguided, to the point of capturing and torturing Obi-Wan? Okay, he could have seen that one, in a certain set of circumstances, especially after seeing her face off with the Tusken Raiders who took Mom. Master Jinn was his grandmaster, while Grandmaster Dooku Fell and eventually died at Anakin's hand? Maybe he could see that. Grandmaster Dooku told him on more than one occasion that he would have fallen without Master Obi-Wan, and from the expression in his grandmaster's eyes during those conversations, Anakin believed him without question.

But the detail that continued to bother him was related to the first: Anakin himself fell and served an Emperor for twenty-odd years. Uhm, why? He spent the first nine years of his life as a slave. . .why in the name of the Force would he want to spent another twenty or twenty-five years as a slave to a man whom he must have hated? It occurred to him, briefly, to be angry with Master Obi-Wan for actually believing that Anakin was so mind-bogglingly stupid. . .then realized the individual who most deserved his anger and scorn was the person who literally planted those ideas into Master's head. . .in other words, Sidious. Funny how everything came back to him. Up to and including Anakin's fists, feet, and lightsaber when they finally found him.

At last, Master Obi-Wan said softly, "Forgive me, Anakin. The memories I have. . .not only was Master Dooku not my father, to the best of my knowledge, but I didn't even know my family. So the concept that I have a family I know, apart from the Jedi. . .and that your mother is part of that family is. . ." He shook his head again, and Anakin felt the last of his resentment melt away. This wasn't Master's fault. . .none of this was his fault. . .and Anakin had no business being angry with him. Exasperated, maybe, but that was par for the course.

"I don't blame you, Master. Yeah, I was a little angry with you at first for believing that poodoo, and then I realized I was blaming the wrong person. It's not your fault, it's Sidious' fault, and to blame you even for a moment. . .well, I'm not that bratty any more," Anakin replied. He was rewarded with a faint smile from his Master, and Anakin added in a mock-whining voice, "It's not faaaaaaaaaaaair! You should know me better than that!" He was more than a little pleased to hear his master laugh, even a soft huff of breath. In a more normal (and serious) voice, he added, "And you do. You just need time to remember, that's all. So. No more apologies."

"Yes, Master," came the dry rejoinder, and Anakin could have clapped in sheer delight. Oh, he missed his Master so much! Not just physically, but this was the first time since Master Obi-Wan woke up that he demonstrated his sense of humor. Something that Anakin missed as much as the comfort of his presence. His master continued after a moment, "What can you tell me about other things? Can you tell me about other things, or must I remember them on my own? Do you get along well with your stepbrother. . . oh, I suppose he's my cousin. But do you get along well with him?" Anakin needed a little time to think about that. His instinct was to tell him about the more emotional implications, and let him remember the facts. Anakin generally followed his instincts. Bad things tended to happen when he didn't follow those instincts.

"I get along really well with Owen. He's a lot of fun, especially when he and I start teasing Beru and Asajj. Asajj can kick my butt in the salles, but she won't do a thing to Owen. Cliegg. . .uhm, sort of. I mean, we had a few problems, because of his clashes with Grandmaster Dooku. . .and I wanted to make sure Cliegg was good enough for my mom. But yeah, I get along pretty well with them both," Anakin replied. He smiled, remembering his first week at the Temple, and said, "I remember, Mom told me before I left Tatooine to never look back. . .and to be sure that I behaved myself for you. She said that she would contact the Temple every week, to make sure I was behaving."

"And. . .did she?" Master Obi-Wan asked tentatively. Anakin bobbed his head, barely biting back a giggle. Oh yes, every week like clockwork! That prompted another smile from his master, who asked, "And, when did we find out that your mother was my aunt by marriage? I mean, how old was I when I found out that Master Dooku was my father, when I found out that I had an uncle and a cousin? I don't imagine I knew while I was growing up in the crèche."

"I. . .think you were fifteen or sixteen when you found out about Grandmaster," Anakin replied. Sixteen was what stuck in his mind, but he couldn't be sure. It had been several years since they discussed that. . .shortly after he found out just how Asajj came to be a Jedi. He added, "And you found out about Mom when Cliegg freed her, then married her. Uhm. . .maybe I should go ahead and tell you this. My stepfather. . .he was your mom's twin brother, right? So, he and Grandmaster don't always get along. I think Cliegg blamed him for your mom's death."

"He did. . .but we've since mended fences. And you were quite right to tell him, Niki. It's best that your master knows that ahead of time, because things are always tense between Cliegg and myself during the first few hours. That would have made your reunion with your uncle most uncomfortable, Obi-Wan, something you simply do not need right now," Grandmaster said, re-entering the room. He smiled gently at Master Obi-Wan, and once more, Anakin found himself envying his master. Yes, he had his mother, but he never had a father who looked at him so lovingly. And yes, his master was the closest thing he had to a father. . .but he wasn't really that individual. On the other hand, his aunt Miya died when Master Obi-Wan was a baby. . .so he never had the chance to know his own mother. Maybe things evened out. Maybe.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

On the other side of the galaxy, a ship was leaving Tatooine, carrying a particular family. The matriarch of the aforementioned family, one Shmi Skywalker Lars, stared out of the porthole, listening for her granddaughter with one ear while Vashti's parents went in search of food for everyone, and Cliegg rested. She had the uneasy sense that her husband would need all the rest he could get before they reached Coruscant, especially with what Ani told her about Obi-Wan's condition. Their arrival at the Jedi Temple was not something Shmi anticipated with a great deal of pleasure. . .things were never pleasant when Cliegg and Yan encountered each other. The Jedi Master was in his late forties when Obi-Wan was born and his mother was murdered, and even then was one of the most formidable Jedi in the Order. For that reason, and others, Miya's twin brother never entirely forgave her lover for her death. After all, he should have been able to protect her. Instead, it was because of Yan's reputation that his young lover was targeted.

Oh, Cliegg knew that it wasn't really Yan's fault, any more than it was Obi-Wan's. . .but Miya was younger than Cliegg by five minutes, and it was a Kenobi family trait to take your responsibilities very seriously. And if they were responsibilities to your family, then the trait was even stronger. Shmi knew her husband lashed out at Yan for 'failing' Miya, but the one he truly blamed (aside from her murderer) was himself. This, fortunately, was something Yan understood. However, that wasn't to say he didn't fight back. He did. Not all the time, not even most of the time, but even Jedi had their limits, and this was a situation where time wasn't a great healer. Shmi reflected a bit ruefully that this was often the case with two proud men. And for all his gentleness, her Cliegg was a very proud man.

In any event, even more than thirty-five years after Miya's death, the two men still clashed. . .except now, it was usually over Obi-Wan. Shmi noticed that the worst of their clashes occurred when Obi-Wan was in danger, for any reason, even now that Obi was a Knight (and would soon become a Master). No doubt, Cliegg was trying to atone for blaming Obi-Wan even for a heartbeat. And that was (another reason) why she wasn't looking forward to reaching Coruscant. Obi found the clashes between his father and uncle painful under normal circumstances, but in this situation? It would be far worse, and Ani might make matters truly volatile. If she knew anything about her Ani, it was how viciously protective her boy could be. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Obi-Wan during normal conditions, but now?

Now, he was likely to be even more protective, given not only Obi-Wan's recent rescue but also the condition in which he and Asajj found his Master. Shmi didn't fool herself. She knew that Anakin loved her. But his love for Obi-Wan was, in some ways, even more fierce. He would never say so, would never admit it aloud, but she feared that losing Obi-Wan would have been far more hard for Anakin to bear than losing her. She was his mother, she gave birth to him, but Obi-Wan chose to love her son. He didn't love Ani because he had to, but because he wanted to. She knew this and so did Anakin. For that reason, she didn't begrudge her son for feeling this way or her nephew for her son's affection. Besides, she had Owen, and Beru, and Vashti, and Cliegg.

And that brought her right back to her husband. It was a curious mechanism in humans, she noticed, or maybe it was limited to this family. Cliegg was terribly protective of Obi-Wan because he blamed him, however briefly, for Miya's death. Anakin was protective in general, but it seemed he was more protective of Obi-Wan because of the times he hurt his master and cousin while Ani was growing up, and it seemed the same was true of Asajj. Although, with that girl, love and guilt and protectiveness mixed into a very volatile solution. There were countless arguments between Asajj and Cliegg over the years, especially while she was pregnant with Luke and Leia. Oh yes. This would be a most interesting trip. Shmi shook her head. There's nothing for it, she counseled herself, just be patient and remind Anakin that Cliegg is being abrasive because he loves Obi-Wan, too, and remind Cliegg that Ani is just defending those he loves. And stay out of Asajj's way when someone makes her angry.

She sought to distract herself from her concerns about Coruscant by turning her attention to their departure, only a few standard hours after she got off the comm with Anakin. She hadn't realized it, but Vashti awoke, and of course, Beru got up with her daughter. It was Beru whom she first told about the new family emergency, and within twenty minutes, they had everything packed. Thirty minutes after that, both of their men were up, and Owen was contacting everyone he knew who might have a contact at the spaceports. . .as well as some who didn't.

It was thanks to her stepson that finding transport for the family off Tatooine wasn't as hard as they were anticipating, and Shmi made sure to thank him for that. Owen merely ducked his head, saying softly, "He's family, even if he doesn't remember right now. Just. . .ask Anakin if I can go with him, once they've found this Sidious character. I'd like to get in a few punches for Obi. No one messes with my cousin and gets away with it." Shmi didn't tell him that if Anakin had his way, Owen wouldn't get anywhere near Sidious (for Owen's safety as well as Anakin's determination to deal with Obi-Wan's attacker personally), and instead, promised to speak to Ani about it. After all, speaking to him wasn't the same as getting him to agree. Owen seemed to understand that, for he smiled knowingly, but went about his business.

And there were other things to worry about. As she already noted, there was Asajj and her interaction with Cliegg. The pretty young Knight was, in some ways, an older, female version of Anakin. She was just as venomously protective of Obi-Wan, and she wasn't inclined to stand by while people denigrated her former Master. On the other hand, she and Cliegg, along with Anakin, really didn't like Senator Amidala. Shmi was willing to accept common ground between her husband and Asajj Ventress-Kenobi wherever possible, even if it was based on a shared dislike for a young girl whom Shmi liked very much during their meeting, more than ten years earlier.

But she couldn't argue with any of Ani's points against the senator. She did lie to the people who were meant to be protecting her, she did lash out at someone who was an infant at the time of her husband's departure from the Order, and she did have a habit of making dangerous assumptions. However, that was in the past now, and Shmi's main concern was with her nephew (by marriage) and her son. Ani might have gone out of his way to antagonize the senator when he was younger, but right now, Shmi knew her son's attention was focused solely on his injured Master. On the other hand, Ani would (metaphorically) tear the senator to pieces if she crossed them again. Or, Shmi thought with a shudder, maybe not so metaphorically, depending on the circumstances.

In some ways, Ani's 'relationship' with the senator reminded her of things between Yan and Cliegg. There had been a time when they were friends. . .good friends even. The poisoning that took Miya's life ended that, as did Cliegg's mistaken notion that Yan gave up on life. When she met the man who became her husband, and he explained about his sister's death, she tried to make him see that it wasn't a matter of giving up, but simple exhaustion. At the time of his brush with death, he was very badly injured; his son was being kept from him; his beloved Miya was dead; his last attempt to train a padawan had gone terribly awry. He hadn't wanted to die. . .he was simply exhausted.

More than likely, Cliegg knew that at the time. . .however, it didn't prevent him from swearing an oath to kill Yan personally for 'betraying Miya's memory' if he ever did that again. Such an action was somewhat counterproductive, from Shmi's point of view, and she told him so when she was capable of speaking. She marked that he hadn't argued with her about her statement, but instead replied a bit ruefully, "I wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the time, love. All I could see was him giving up, just when Obi-Wan needed him most. I failed to take a few things into consideration."

So it would seem. Unfortunately, as was so often the case, the innocent child at the center of it all ended up paying the price. At least Obi-Wan also had Mace Windu and Master Yoda to help him through the years of being caught between his uncle and his father. . .although Master Windu muttered under his breath that if families would cause this much drama, they might wish to return to the no-attachment rule. He wasn't serious. At least, she hoped that was the case. Besides, from what Yan told her after she married Cliegg, Mace was a combination of much older brother and uncle to Obi-Wan. . .not surprising, given the connection forged between the two younglings when the teenaged Padawan Mace Windu carried the infant Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Healer's Ward. On more than one occasion, since her marriage, she went out of her way to thank the Korun Master for taking care of Obi-Wan.

And this was part of her Ani's life. . .the drama, the danger, and the heartbreak. Shmi never thought that being a Jedi was easy, but even she underestimated what her nephew and her son faced. She thought about what Ani told her about this nightmarish world which her nephew inhabited for six months. Shmi wasn't a violent person. But when she thought about what this Sidious did to her nephew, it made her angry enough to do violence. She could only imagine how it affected her son, who spent the last ten years of his life with Obi-Wan. There was little she could do for Obi. . .his healing would come with time. . .but there was a world of good she could do for her son.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Well, well, well. Wasn't this an interesting conundrum?

The meeting between the queen of Alderaan and her consort, and the Jedi within the Temple concluded after three hours. There was a great deal to discuss, even after the Kenobi situation was resolved (not that it was resolved, but Breha and her husband agreed to the request made by the Jedi). About a half hour into the meeting, Master Yan Dooku excused himself, no doubt to check on his son. In addition to Obi-Wan's condition and the investigation, there were other things to be discussed. But once they left the Temple, the queen had things she needed to discuss with Bail about the Order.

Breha Organa almost shook her head as she and her husband reached their speeder, before remembering 'appearances' (never mind they were on the landing pad, and no one saw them, that wasn't the point). And 'appearances' defined her life, whether she liked it or not (emphasis on not). She spent the first several years of her life, learning to be a proper princess and then queen of Alderaan. It was, she admitted freely, quite tiresome. And so, the outwardly-sedate young princess found other outlets for her true self. . .first, in her extremely dry sense of humor, which was further honed by the even more tiresome appearances at court; and secondly, in her slightly unusual choice of friends. Never was this as true as when she befriended a man who was old enough to be her father: namely, former Jedi padawan Xanatos Verras.

That raised eyebrows, even with her then-fiancé Bail. However, Xan was the only person apart from her immediate family and Bail, who not only accepted her true self, but who actually liked her. It wasn't the princess of Alderaan whom he liked, either, but her, Breha. That discovery almost literally made Breha dizzy, when she came to that conclusion nearly ten years earlier. Not surprisingly, due to that understanding, she was quite protective of Xan. And that made her friendship with the Jedi Order as a whole even more surprising. However, Xan told her on more than one occasion that what happened between himself and the Order (Master Jinn especially) had nothing to do with her. It took place before she was even born. . .ergo, it was of no consequence to him if she liked many members of the Council itself and even more members of the Order.

As a direct result, she and Padme Amidala had many an argument in the first few years of the latter's marriage to Xan. Breha grimaced. Sticky situation, that. In normal circumstances, she probably would have liked Padme a great deal. However, nothing about their lives constituted 'normal.' The former queen blamed the entire Jedi Order for the mistakes of a few, while Breha limited the Order's culpability to those directly involved, a fact which infuriated Xan's new wife. Not that Breha particularly cared-the last thing she wanted was to cause trouble for Xan in his new marriage, but she had her own standards. Loyalty was one thing, but the idea of blaming Obi-Wan Kenobi or Asajj Ventress for the mistakes of those in power was simply ludicrous. As a fellow monarch (or monarch in training, as the case may be), Padme of all people should have understood that. But it was clear that the other girl did not. . .thus, the first few years of her marriage to Xan, Breha kept her distance. The last thing she wanted was to put her friend in an uncomfortable position.

Thankfully, that was over. She could hold a civil conversation with the former queen, even if they weren't exactly friends. So perhaps it wasn't so strange that Breha was greatly amused to hear how Anakin Skywalker reamed her on Xan's ship. . .good for him. Then again, that was pretty much what she expected out of the young padawan from Tatooine. And she was less than impressed with Padme's insistence that she could bring the war to a close. That was dangerously naïve, and naïve was something that no monarch (or senator) could afford to be. While Padme Amidala could use her beauty and charm for the good of Telos and Naboo, she couldn't use it on Nute Gunray. Moreover, it was extremely likely that many of the Separatists leaders shared his opinion of her.

"I'm glad to hear Obi-Wan is recovering so well, but I'm concerned by what we were told about his condition," Bail observed, drawing Breha's attention away from her concerns about the ongoing political climate. Yes, that was worrying. Especially the bit about his false memories. . .and their desire to keep Kerani away from him for now. 'Rani missed 'her Obi,' so it was probably best for now that they didn't tell her that he was safely back at Temple. Otherwise, she would want to see him. . .immediately, if not sooner. Her daughter was a very willful little girl. . .much like her mother, Breha cheerfully admitted.

"Do you have an issue with not telling the Chancellor about Obi-Wan's current situation?" Breha asked. She knew that her husband disliked Palpatine. . .not just his usurpation of power, but didn't like the man himself. However, he was still the Chancellor, and as such, deserved respect. Bail didn't answer immediately. Breha didn't blame him. This wasn't an easy issue. . .in fact, it could even be argued that they were committing treason by allowing the Order to proceed on their terms. Breha wasn't of that opinion, nor was Bail. . .but he was a senator, and had to be extremely cautious about even the hint of impropriety.

"No," her husband finally said, "no, this was asked of us for a reason, and most likely a very good reason. Besides, it's not our place to say anything to the Chancellor. This is a matter for the Order to handle. I know many in the Senate think that we own the Jedi, but there is simply too much that we as a whole don't understand about them. No, I won't have an issue about keeping this just between us. And I do mean just us. I won't say anything to even the other senators sympathetic to the Jedi. Walls tend to have ears, and things would get back to the Chancellor. . .likely putting all of us in danger." Breha inclined her head in agreement as he assisted her into their speeder.

"Agreed. That being said, I think we should keep a close eye on things at the Temple. Not by way of the Council, but someone whom we see on a social basis, aside from Obi-Wan and Asajj. Asajj will want to spend as much time with Obi-Wan as possible, and help him recover more of his memories. Anakin is also out. . .he's notoriously protective of Obi-Wan, and I'm sure that his mother's family will be arriving by the end of the week. Master Dooku is in the same position as Anakin, and he's in a position of authority," the queen observed. When the rest of Obi-Wan and Anakin's family arrived, Shmi would have her hands full not just with Anakin, but also her husband. Seeing Cliegg Lars in one of his towering furies made Breha hope with all of her heart that she never saw Obi-Wan angry. . .the gentle ones were the most dangerous when angered.

"Are you thinking Xan might be a possibility? He has a number of contacts within the Temple, even better than mine," Bail suggested. Breha made a face her husband couldn't see. She wasn't entirely sure about the suitability of her friend for this particular task. He had contacts within the Temple, yes, but he wasn't in the Temple directly. She wanted something more direct. The question was whom she should ask. Someone within the direct circle was out of the question. That included Siri Tachi, much as she liked the blonde Knight, and Bant Eerin, whose first priority was her patients. . . including Obi-Wan himself. Who else. . .?

"No," she said slowly, "no, I think a better person to ask would be Kit Fisto. He's married to Bant Eerin's former Master, which gives him some insight to that little circle. Yes, I think Master Fisto would be the best choice under the circumstances." The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. She and Bail were already on good terms with the Nautolan Master, he was one of the more easygoing Jedi, and as Tahl's husband, he had access to information many other Jedi did not. Yes. An excellent choice. She ignored the little voice in the back of her mind, wondering who was Bant's Master in the other universe, the one Sidious piped into Obi-Wan's head. Never mind. She would worry about that later. After Sidious was dealt with.

Evidently, Bail came to the same conclusion regarding Kit and Xan, observing, "I think you're right. Very well, then. . .we'll approach Master Fisto about this in the next few days. In the meantime, I think it's time we returned to our daughter. 'Rani will most likely be wondering where we are." Ohh, so it was 'Rani about whom Bail was most concerned? She eyed her husband as their speeder lifted off, and to her amusement (to say nothing of her delight), Bail actually blushed. Yes, that's what she thought. She did so enjoy doing this to her husband!

However, all she said was, "Well, then, we'll reassure our daughter and make certain we don't tell her about Obi-Wan or his condition. I'll deal with the. . . affairs of state that have cropped up in our absence." Bail made a suspicious sounding 'eep' sound, his face darkening with a blush, and Breha continued with a provocative grin, "Oh. That will only be the beginning, my husband! That will be the beginning."

TBC


	8. Passion and Serenity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to settle in the Jedi Temple as Obi-Wan begins to accept this reality as the true reality; Cliegg Lars has to make adjustments of his own in his nephew's life; and Asajj takes some time for herself ... along with some really good advice from an old friend.

Jedi Temple  
Coruscant Temple  
Three weeks later

"Good morning, Master Kenobi! So glad you're all right!"

The greeting was an oft-heard phrase during the last few weeks, ever since he awoke to find everything he thought he knew turned upside down. Not, of course, that Obi-Wan Kenobi was complaining. It was one of many things he liked about his current situation. Even though there was a part of him which believed he would wake up to find himself in the Force once more, trying to comfort Anakin after Jacen's Fall, he found himself enjoying this variation on the Jedi Temple. There was laughter here, laughter and joy and love. And passion.

He blushed a little, remembering his first night back in his own quarters with Asajj and the twins. Asajj was incredibly patient and gentle, not asking anything more of him than for him to simply hold her. Though things were more than a little awkward, he was glad to do that, and within just a few minutes, Asajj's hair against his cheek and her arms wrapped around him felt. . .right. To make things easier for the couple, Anakin was spending the night with his mother and step-father (and Obi-Wan was still struggling to call them 'Aunt Shmi and Uncle Cliegg,' as he was told that he did before he was captured), step-brother and the rest of the family.

Of course, Obi-Wan and Asajj had just gotten settled when the twins made their displeasure known. Obi-Wan made the offer to see to whatever was wrong, but Asajj shook her head, sighing, "Oh, I know what's wrong, and I should have seen it coming. Maybe it's just as well you're not ready for any bedroom acrobatics. Luke and Leia will want to spend the night in our bed. Are you all right with that?" Obi-Wan was still trying to get back from the whole 'bedroom acrobatics' comment, and seized onto Asajj's question with all the desperation of a drowning man.

"Do they often spend the night with us?" Obi-Wan asked, more than a little lost. They did not, he learned; however, given that they just got their father back, and had more than a touch of separation anxiety, Asajj thought it wouldn't be a problem. At least until Luke and Leia were sure Daddy wouldn't leave again. Obi-Wan looked away at that, feeling more than a touch of shame. No, he hadn't left his children deliberately for six months, but he did leave them. He quietly acceded to Asajj, who disappeared into the twins' bedroom. She reappeared only a few minutes later with a child in each arm. Leia went immediately to him, snuffling against his shoulder, and it broke his heart all over again.

Asajj whispered, "Don't. None of this is your fault, love. Do you understand? None of it. They love their daddy and they missed him, but this wasn't your fault. We can be patient while you recover your memories. . .just be patient with yourself, and with us. All right?" Obi-Wan nodded, settling back against the pillows, and fell into a restless sleep. And yet, the presence of his wife and children kept the nightmares at bay. He didn't feel any more rested the following morning, but at least he didn't awake Asajj and the children during the night with his screams. No. . .no, that came later.

Part of what caused his discomfort that first night wasn't simply the unfamiliar sensation of having one long body stretched out beside him and two small bodies curled up on top of him, but the strangest feeling in the Force. He whispered, after the children fell asleep, "What is that, Asajj, that sensation in the Force?" She hummed softly under her breath, but he could sense her lowering. . .some kind of shields. What kinds of shields were those? He was fairly certain that he never encountered them before! After a moment, however, her eyes opened and she smiled at him.

"I suppose you wouldn't recognize it. . .your shields are a bit ragged. That was someone having a very good night. I'm willing to bet it's Quin. It feels like him, at least," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder once again. Obi-Wan froze up a little. Having a very good night, Quin. . .what? His mind supplied pictures he would have gone without seeing happily for the rest of his life, and his face turned almost as red as his hair. Some of his distress must have bled through what few shields he had remaining, because Asajj opened her eyes once more and said softly, "Here. Let me help you bolster those shields. We want you to get some sleep tonight."

She reached up and lay on hand along his cheek, and he could feel his shields rebuilding themselves. Asajj murmured, "I keep forgetting that you aren't used to this reality. . .yes, there is passion, along with serenity, here in the Temple. The two aren't mutually exclusive, you know. It's like Shmi always said. . .a place for everything, and everything in its place. Serenity belongs in tough negotiations, and passion in the bedroom." Obi-Wan didn't think it was possible, but he blushed even hotter.

"I see. Thank you for your help, Asajj," he finally managed as the blush finally, finally receded. She smiled at him, but he still saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes. Obi-Wan swallowed hard, adding, "I'm sorry. Just be patient. . .I'm trying to get this right?" The hurt died away, leaving only compassion and some traces of guilt. She stroked his cheek, her thumb grazing his cheekbone as he settled next to her once more.

He sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing into the gentle touch. She murmured, "Don't apologize, Obi-Wan, not for this. Like I said, this isn't your fault. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I should have realized that your shields to keep out. . .those Force impressions. . .would be weakened by your time away. Just rest now, love. You're still wobbly, and I have a feeling both Anakin and Shmi would have some rather fierce words for me if you were to collapse tomorrow from exhaustion."

Obi-Wan found out the next morning what she meant by that, although Shmi and Anakin were the more easy-going pair to deal with. From the moment of his uncle's arrival, it seemed as if Cliegg Lars Kenobi was in a competition with Obi-Wan's father and Master to see who could take better care of Obi-Wan. In some ways, it was amusing. . .in other ways, it was incredibly overwhelming. It probably would have been even worse, if it weren't for Mace, Asajj, and Master Yoda. That particular trinity seemed to pop up any time Obi-Wan started becoming uncomfortable. And, the truth was, he was far more uncomfortable with his uncle Cliegg than he was with his aunt Shmi. Even though his memories were false, he felt as if he knew Shmi better from the false universe. Anakin reassured him when Obi-Wan acknowledged this to his padawan and cousin that it was to be expected, and Cliegg would understand. Obi-Wan wasn't so sure of that, but he was grateful to Niki for trying to help and understand.

All in all, it was a good few weeks, as he adjusted to this new and improved Jedi Order (yes, Mace actually referred to it that way, thoroughly shocking Obi-Wan the first time he heard it). He knew it wouldn't last. That wasn't the way the universe worked. But while it lasted, he would enjoy it, and plan ahead for when things went bad. . .as he knew they had to do. He wouldn't worry about that right now, though. He had a meeting this afternoon with Bail and Breha Organa, the first such meeting since his return, and he was looking forward to seeing the man who seemed to be his friend in any universe. And then, this evening. . .maybe he would have a chance to talk to his uncle properly.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

To say that Cliegg Lars felt out of his element would have been a serious understatement. It wasn't being on Coruscant again. . .or rather, wasn't simply being back on Coruscant, since the city-planet felt so. . .unnatural to him. Nor was it being around Yan Dooku once more, which was always uncomfortable, even before his sister's death more than thirty years earlier. It wasn't even Grandmaster Yoda, whose eyes seemed to see entirely too much for Cliegg's comfort. Much as he hated to admit it (and he did), what really made him feel uneasy. . .was Obi-Wan himself. He actually felt uneasy and uncomfortable around the nephew he always adored.

In some ways, looking at Obi-Wan was like seeing a mirror into the past. . .he saw not just himself, but his twin sister. This, of course, was only right, since Miya was Obi-Wan's mother. He had her smile and her eyes, to start with, although the rest of him was either his father's or his own. And he had some of his mother's attributes, especially as he grew older. He had her compassion and her gentleness, just as he had his father's iron will and fierce determination. But ever so often, Yan Dooku would remind him that Obi-Wan inherited that same fierce determination from Miya. Cliegg remembered the gentle girl she was when they were growing up, rather than the fiery woman she could be.

And fiery was an understatement! He remembered pulling pranks when they were just a few years younger than Niki, and the ways Miya would take revenge. No, she never took things lying down. And the only reason why she left her infant son was because she had nothing more to fight with, despite her desire to fight for her life. The poison had eroded all of her strength, and at the end, she could barely lift her hand to touch her baby's face. She loved him, so very much.

In some ways, his wife reminded him a great deal of his sister. Shmi was much younger than Miya, yes, and she had dark hair, rather than blonde. But in all the important ways, they were remarkably similar. She was gentle and quiet, serene even. . .but with a steel core and an unwillingness to take nonsense. That side of her became more prevalent, once she was a free woman, and accustomed to being free. She had a similar mischievous streak that she passed along to her son, just as Miya's impish streak popped up in Obi-Wan ever so often. It was often said that men married women who reminded them of their mothers. . . Cliegg wondered what it said about him, that he fell in love with and married a woman who reminded him of his sister.

That also begged the question. . .if men fell in love with and married women who reminded them of their mothers, then where did Asajj come from? Cliegg loved her dearly, but the truth was, he couldn't imagine anyone who was less like Miya. On the other hand, Obi-Wan was just a baby when his mother died. . .why would he fall for a woman whom he didn't remember? And, when he thought about it, there were similarities between Miya and Asajj. One was a fierce woman with an unexpected gentle streak, with the other was a gentle woman with an unexpected fierce streak. And really, Miya would have loved Asajj as well.

All of which was distracting him from what was truly on his mind, and what he really didn't want to think about. . .the mental and emotional damage done to his nephew during his six-month-long captivity. In some ways, he was the same young man whom Cliegg watched grow up from a distance, the same young man who raised Cliegg's stepson since Niki was nine years old, and the same young man who married Asajj Ventress. . .in other ways, he was a stranger, and Cliegg didn't like that. Obi-Wan was family, he wasn't supposed to be a stranger, but this man with his haunted eyes and wary expression was very much a stranger.

He knew that Obi-Wan had seen things that weren't true while he was a captive. He knew that his nephew was found unconscious and hooked up to obscenities of machines, which piped in those unreal things into Obi-Wan's brain. He knew that was why Obi-Wan found it so very hard to reconcile the truth and the lies. All of this, he knew, in his brain. Accepting it in his heart was another matter entirely and it was that truth which he found hardest to face. He swore that he would accept Obi-Wan in whatever condition he and the others found him. And what really horrified Cliegg is that he could have handled seeing Obi-Wan's physical deterioration, but seeing the wariness and confusion, seeing the lost expression on his nephew's face at times? That was much, much harder.

Seeing those expressions made Niki's fury much easier to understand, so much easier. Now he understood Niki's stern warning when he and the rest of the family arrived on Coruscant a few weeks earlier, that Obi-Wan was far more vulnerable than anyone realized, and 'if anyone upsets Master, they'll answer to me. . .and then they'll answer to Asajj, and I'll let you figure out which of us is scarier when we're angry. I won't stand for anyone hurting him, even unintentionally. He's been through enough.'

Indeed he had. And while Yoda and Mace Windu worked on figuring out who abducted Obi-Wan, whom this Sidious person really was, the young Jedi's family would focus on taking care of him. And that was another issue for the moisture farmer from Tatooine. Before his nephew was taken, he knew exactly where he fit in Obi-Wan's life, but now? Now, not so much. Not even knowing that Yan felt just as uneasy didn't help, though it should have, since Yan was the boy's father. But where Yan at least knew when to offer help and when to back away, Cliegg didn't even have that comfort. Obi-Wan was recovering, and that should have been a comfort. It was, but. . .

Things started to turn around after Obi-Wan returned from a meeting with Bail and Breha Organa. The rest of the family awaited him in his and Asajj's apartment. Once he was seated, Beru decided she had enough of the tension and plopped Vashti into his lap. . . while it wasn't already occupied with Luke or Leia, of course. She ignored Obi-Wan's bemused expression and beamed down at him. . .or maybe it was at Vashti's excited babble. Either one worked. Shmi and Beru busied themselves by fussing over Obi-Wan, while Anakin and Owen put their heads together to figure out the best way to protect Obi-Wan from whoever wanted to hurt him again. Yan merely watched his only child and beamed happily at having him back. This left Cliegg. He wanted to help his nephew, wanted to help protect him, wanted to fix this situation in whatever way he could, but in truth, there was nothing he could do. He was a farmer, not a Jedi, and he was somewhat limited in his options.

Then Obi-Wan asked over Vashti's head, rather shyly, if Cliegg could tell him any stories about Miya, about his mother. He knew about her from his father and Master, but he wanted to hear about her from her brother, from her twin. It didn't matter that they had this conversation in the past. It didn't matter that Cliegg told Asajj these same stories. What mattered was that he asked and that he truly wanted to know. Whether it was to learn once more about his mother or try to push memories to the surface, it didn't matter. He was asking about his mother, about Cliegg's sister.

There were so many stories Cliegg could have told his nephew about his late mother. He could have told him about the pranks Cliegg pulled on his sister when they were children and the payback she enacted. He could have told his nephew about the joy in Miya's eyes when she learned she was pregnant with Obi-Wan. But neither of those stories would have told the boy who his mother truly was. And so, he chose two stories which Obi-Wan never heard before, not even before he was taken by this Sidious fellow. . .the story of Obi-Wan's birth and the story of Miya's death.

He told Miya's son about the night he was born, how Miya fought to bring him into the world and how his father clung to his mother's hand, begging the Healers to give her something for the pain. He told his nephew how Miya refused that additional painkillers, wanting to control the pain herself and he told how Miya wept when her little baby boy was placed in her arms. His tiny face was peppered with kisses, and he was such a good baby, staring up at this strange new world with wide eyes that seemed far too old for such a young child. Yan Dooku announced in that moment that his son would be a Jedi and Miya agreed, kissing her son's forehead again.

Thirty-plus years later, Miya's son listened in silence, tears rolling down his cheeks as he learned of his birth, and then of his mother's death. He heard about how Miya was poisoned to destroy her beloved Yan. . .and how an antidote was held hostage. It would be turned over the Jedi, but for a price. . .a price that no one was willing to pay, least of Miya herself. Even as her strength faltered, she forbade Yoda, Mace Windu, or anyone else on the Council to make that deal, reminding any who argued that such people could not be trusted. No, she would place her trust in the Jedi Healers, because even if they failed, they would fail honestly. And little by little, her strength failed, through each treatment, through each experiment to counteract the poison, until she had no strength left.

Once he told of Miya's death, still fighting, still so determined to hold onto life, Cliegg looked at his sister's son and cupped a wet, bearded cheek, whispering, "You are just like her, Obi-Wan. You have her strength and her determination. And even when your world is falling apart around you, you are still fighting. Keep being Miya's son, Obi-Wan. But I don't think you know how to do anything else. No. . .no, you're your mother's son, through and through, and that is what will save you."

He kissed his nephew's forehead then, and was rewarded as the boy leaned into his embrace, still holding Vashti against his chest. Cliegg held the boy tightly, blinking back tears once more. . .because even the way Obi-Wan accepted the comfort was the same way his mother did.

SWSWSWSWSW

"So. How is Obi-Wan?"

The question wasn't unexpected, though she supposed she should have expected it sooner. Every week since her husband's return from captivity, she left the Temple while his muscles were built back up. It had two purposes: first, it gave him some breathing room and her time away and second, it gave her the opportunity to update their friends outside the Temple. At the top of that list was the gentleman now sitting across from her. . . although he would have been terribly offended to hear himself called a 'gentleman.' Even if it was meant as a compliment.

However, he was one of her first friends when she arrived on Coruscant, more than a decade earlier, and if there was one thing Asajj Ventress-Kenobi was, it was fiercely loyal. She said softly as she took a bite of her bantha burger, "He's better. . . getting stronger every day, both physically and mentally. Still worried about him, emotionally speaking. In some ways, he's almost too well-adjusted. Honestly, I'm more worried about Anakin and me, Dex, than I am about Obi-Wan. Not because. . .well, we keep hurting him by accident. We get upset when he can't remember something, and. . ."

"Asajj. Look at me, little lady," Dex said quietly. Asajj raised her eyes to look at her old friend. She was terrified of him, the first time Obi-Wan and Master Yan introduced her to him. . .never saw anything like him before. But as big as he was. . .well, Asajj was of the opinion that the reason he was so big was his body needed to match his heart. And the twins adored him. Dex said gently once Asajj was paying attention to him, "Now you listen to me. You keep telling Obi-Wan to be patient with himself. Seems to me that you need to take your own advice."

She smiled faintly, inclining her head in acknowledgment of this particular truth. After a moment, she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper, "I know that. It just kills something inside me when I see that flicker of hurt in his eyes when I get impatient. He's only been back for a few weeks, after being away for six months, and Sidious. . .is there anything worse than ravaging someone's memories, Dex? My poor husband. . .he believed that he lived in a world where Anakin fell, where I was a Sith wannabe, where he lost everything. EVERYTHING! Anakin and Senator Amidala were married and the birth parents of Luke and Leia, Master Jinn took Obi-Wan as a padawan reluctantly, and the changes of the last three decades never took place."

"And so, that is how he is reacting. As protective of Anakin as Niki is of him, fearing that he'll lose him again. Trying to react as a married man, rather than someone who followed the previous Jedi Code. . .because I know and you know, Asajj, he actually tries to follow Codes and laws and rules. Doesn't always succeed, but makes a genuine effort. I imagine having Cliegg and Shmi here has made things even more complicated, especially if Cliegg and Yan got into their usual 'I care about Obi-Wan and honor Miya more than you do' pissing contest," Dex observed. Asajj barely bit back a snort. . . because really, that was exactly what her former Master and Obi-Wan's uncle did.

"On the other hand," she observed, "At least Owen, Beru, and Vashti have been helping to distract Cliegg to prevent those pissing contests. Don't misunderstand me, Dex. They've gotten better, both of them, especially with the lost look Obi-Wan gave them before he was taken. I mean, before Obi was abducted, when he would ask a question about his mother, those two would start up their rivalry again. It drove Master Mace utterly insane. Cliegg would behave like a jealous twin and Master like anything other than the mature Jedi Master and Council member I know him to be. They haven't been doing that since Obi was returned to us, but things are still tense. I understand they're both happy about having Obi-Wan back, and I understand they can't forgive themselves, much less each other, for Miya's death, but Obi-Wan doesn't need this! I almost understand those Jedi who wish for the old days. . . almost."

"Nah, you don't, kiddo. . .you really don't. Mind you, I wasn't here when that happened. But you see what they're like now. . . what do you think the Jedi would be like if it was the old days? Wouldn't be pleasant, that's for sure," Dex pointed out and Asajj acknowledged the truth of this. Dex continued, "Now, you need to realize that both Yan and Cliegg are feeling really uneasy. It isn't just the normal pissing contest they get into. This time, it's far worse. We could have lost Obi-Wan, we kriffing well almost did lose him. Worse yet, he doesn't remember the world, the galaxy, the universe as it is. He's been trapped in what sounds like a nightmare world for the last six months, and if you and Niki are having a hard time with what he said, imagine what it must be like for those two. Has Obi-Wan had the chance to talk with his uncle at all?"

Asajj shook her head thoughtfully, observing, "Obi-Wan has a meeting with Queen Breha and her consort this afternoon, once his exercises are complete for the day, and after that, the others are planning to gather in our apartment. Should be there right now. Shmi didn't say anything to me about forcing the issue. . .no pun intended. . .but that's not her style. And I don't think she'd tell me even if she planned to do something like that." However, Dex was already shaking his head, and Asajj knew he was right. Her aunt by marriage was many things, including just as obstinate as Asajj herself, but foolish wasn't among them. And forcing the issue between three stubborn men would be foolish.

"Naw. . .naw, Shmi won't force the issue. She might, on the other hand, remove all the distractions from Cliegg and subtly keep Yan out of the way. That's more her style. . . she ain't like you, Asajj, she doesn't go into a situation with a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other," Dex replied. Asajj smirked a little. . .well, that would be slightly difficult, since Shmi was neither a Jedi nor a Sith. However, she took Dex's point. Shmi, no doubt because of her years as a slave, was a far more subtle person than Asajj was.

"So. . .what should I do? I can't keep hurting my husband because he can't remember the real reality! None of this is his fault, but he's the one who keeps apologizing to us! Ever so often, the man whom I know, the man whom I married, peeks through, and then, just a short time later, he's gone again, and in his place is this poor, traumatized man who has had his entire life completely destroyed. . .not just once, but repeatedly. Can you imagine, Dex, what that must be like?" Asajj asked softly, blinking back tears, not just for her husband, but for what kind of life that other Obi-Wan would have lived.

Dex studied her for a long time, looked down at the half-full plate, and then gave it a gentle nudge toward her, saying, "You eat." Asajj responded with a disbelieving half-laugh. What? Dex repeated, nodding firmly, "You eat, little lady. You came here to eat and to rest and to relax, and that's exactly what you're gonna do. You gotta keep up your strength, after all." Asajj started to protest, but then she understood exactly what Dex was trying to say. It wasn't simply, 'eat to keep your strength up.' It was also, 'relax, unwind, because Obi-Wan will sense that you're stressed and try to take care of you, pushing aside his own recovery.' She had to take care of herself before she could take care of Obi-Wan and the twins.

With a half-smile for her companion, Asajj picked up her bantha burger and took first one bite, and then another. As she did, Dex said gently, "What you gotta remember, more than anything else, little lady. . .be patient with yourself. Yes, Obi-Wan has been through a terrible time, ain't nobody denying that. But so have you, and so has Niki. You've been without your husband, Niki's been without his Master, his cousin, and his best friend, and you know, I think that's what Obi-Wan's really apologizing for. Not just that he can't remember things as they really are, and it obviously hurts you and Niki. . .but that you've been without your husband for six months, and now you'll be without him a little longer. So long as he doesn't remember this reality, our reality, your husband is still lost. He understands that, and that's why he's apologizing."

When she thought about it in those terms, it made perfect sense. She said thoughtfully after swallowing a bite, "I got lost, didn't I?" Dex made no verbal answer, but the compassion in his eyes said it all. She smiled at him a bit wearily, adding, "Thanks, Dex. I don't know if I'll be able to stay on the right track now, but at least now I know where I'm going." Which was, by far, much better than wandering around in the dark. Dex just grinned at her and heaved his massive body out of the booth, smoothing his hand over her hair with a gentleness that might have shocked many.

"Any time, little lady. I gotta be gettin' back to work now, but don't be a stranger and even more importantly, don't forget to take care of yourself!" he replied and Asajj grinned. Yeah. It was important. So, once she finished her lunch, she wouldn't rush back to the Temple, not unless she received an important summons from Yoda or Mace. Instead, she would go to the Senate and see how Mon Mothma was doing. Not as a Senator and as a Jedi, but as two friends. It was about time they caught up with each other. Maybe even long past time.

TBC


	9. The Measure of a Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commander Cody gets some very good news from one of his brothers; the Chancellor (who isn't entirely the one we're familiar with) makes his appearance and mulls over what little he's learned.

"Cody … that was Commander Skywalker. They found Kenobi. He's all right."

He released a breath he didn't remember taking and turned to face his brother. They'd been incommunicado for the better part of three weeks, thanks to the Seppies. And Commander Cody Fett couldn't think of any news more welcome than the revelation that his general was safe. Rex smiled faintly, adding, "He's safe … recovering from his captivity. Commander Skywalker warned that his memory is a mess." But he was alive, and that was what counted. His Jedi was alive … alive and home.

Still, there were other questions to be asked. Cody ran his hand over his hair, asking softly, "Any sign of our dear progenitor?" There was more than a touch of distaste in his voice when he spoke of the bounty hunter who provided the template for him and his brothers. Rex merely shook his head, looking worried as Cody felt. Difference was, Cody was worried about the kind of trouble Jango Fett could (and usually did) stir up. Rex was worried about the man himself. Why he was worried, Cody had no idea, but that was his brother.

"Nary a sign, vod, and based on what I'm hearing from Kamino, that worries the long-necks as much it does everyone else. Jango's never out of touch this long, unless something's wrong with Boba," Rex answered and Cody grunted. Boba was Jango's natural-born son, but he was still their little brother. They'd been grown in a test-tube, while Boba had only vague memories of his own mother. He also had a way of getting around his father's instructions that left Jango Fett shaking his head with affection and exasperation. Kinda the way Cody felt about his Jedi, really … and yeah, he had a pretty good idea of how Jango would feel about being classed with a Jedi. That was why he took such pleasure in doing it.

Cody and his batch were uncorked more than ten years earlier. Rumor had it that he and his fellow 'units' were commissioned by a Jedi … but if that was the case, it was done behind the backs of the Jedi Council, as Cody learned when he met General Yoda nearly five years earlier. He still had no idea how the Jedi learned of their existence, but General Yoda immediately corrected the long-necks when he and his brothers were called 'units.' Cody himself was not quite six years old at the time he first met the 'little green troll' as his own Jedi were known to call him, but went through the same rapid-acceleration as his brothers.

He was also somewhere he really wasn't supposed to be … something the long-necks hadn't noticed, but Yoda had. After the chastened Kaminoan left following their confrontation, Yoda called, sounding more amused than anything else, 'Come forth, you should, young one … bite, I do not.' Cody stepped out of his hiding place, not quite sure what to make of this tiny being. Yoda hummed under his breath as Cody knelt before him, and murmured, 'Many complications, I see … time, I need.' Cody frowned, not understanding, and a tiny clawed hand touched his face with far more gentleness than he would have thought likely, as the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order asked, 'A name, you have?'

Cody mentally translated the reversed syntax, before replying, 'CC-2224, sir.' The Jedi's ears flattened against his head and another 'hmm' emerged. Cody thought briefly about asking what he was, but didn't want to be rude. Besides, this was a Jedi, and it was Cody's duty to protect his Jedi (even if he wasn't sure if this would be his Jedi). Besides, he really didn't care, not after what he heard Yoda say. 'Sentient beings, these are … not units, not slaves!'

'Designation, that is … your name, it is not. Your name, I asked, youngling,' Yoda observed. Cody started to answer, and then stopped. Not just because this was a Jedi asking, but because he was asking, not demanding … not forcing. He already defended Cody and his brothers once, already made it clear that he was far more than the circumstances of his birth. But his name … that wasn't shared with just anyone. Names had power, after all. The only people who called him 'Cody' at that point were his brothers. But … maybe it was alright to tell this Jedi his name? As if to drive Cody's own thoughts home, Yoda added, 'Call you 2224, your brothers do not?' Cody shook his head, and it was the impetus he needed.

'No, sir … my brothers call me Cody.' Later, after he learned that most Republic citizens had a given name and a surname, he took Jango Fett's last name as his own. Not out of any great affection for the man, but because he didn't want to presume by taking the surname of a Jedi. That was the beginning of his somewhat unusual relationship with an odd but venerable Jedi. Over the next few years, Yoda made more and more trips to Kamino, sometimes bringing other Jedi with him. Chief among those were the Master of the Order, Mace Windu … Yoda's padawan, Jedi Master Yan Dooku, and his grandpadawan … Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. And when he met the last young Jedi, Cody knew this was his general.

He was a clone, he wasn't Force-sensitive … but he had known. This was a man worth fighting for, worth dying for … worth dying beside (even if that wasn't plan a). And when Obi-Wan, along with his padawan and Senator Mothma were captured on Geonosis, Yoda came to Kamino to ask Cody and his brothers if they would assist in the rescue. No one was entirely sure who Mon Mothma was, aside from the young senator from Chandrila, but it didn't matter. A Jedi was in trouble, a Jedi who befriended them, who was family … so there was only one answer.

Cody said now, aware of his brother's silent presence at his side, "The minute we hear from Skywalker, calling us back to Coruscant, we go. Who is taking our place?" Rex smiled, an almost feral expression, but after hearing the Wolfpack would be taking over, Cody completely agreed. Not all of the Jedi were like Skywalker, Kenobi, and Koon … but such Jedi did exist, and that was all Cody had to know. He added, "Oh, and we are going after whoever took our general, just as soon as we find out who did it." Perhaps it went without saying … but Cody didn't want any confusion about what was to come. None at all.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

He wasn't a good man. He never said otherwise. And he couldn't deny there was a tiny bit of pleasure when Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. Now they understood how it felt to be under attack and utterly alone, with no one to come to their aid. He was from Naboo, but he had no love for his home planet. He didn't have anything to do with the invasion, but he wasn't interested in stopping it, either. No, he wasn't a good man. A good man would have forgiven the people who stood by and did nothing as a gentle young girl died. A good man would have forgiven the people who committed that horrific crime. But he couldn't forgive those who took his beautiful daughter from him, those who stood by and watched, and certainly not himself.

Even so, he meant what he said to young Anakin Skywalker after the Freedom Parade … he would be watching the boy as his future unfolded with a great deal of interest. The child's power was incredible, but more than that, he could see himself in the boy (much to his chagrin) … even worse, the child reminded him of Jasleen. She wanted to help people, she died trying to do just that. And Sheev … well, there was a time when he thought his sensitivity to the Force meant something, that he could help people with it. But life-and his daughter's murder shortly before the Trade Federation invaded-destroyed that delusion. He wasn't interested in helping people, much less those who wouldn't help themselves … who would destroy anyone who tried to help them. Just as they'd destroyed Sheev's beloved child.

Oh yes, Sheev Palpatine was extremely interested in the progress of Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, back when he first met the child and he remained interested, even now … especially after he learned the truth about the boy's background. He spent the first nine years as a slave on Tatooine, along with his mother. That explained a great deal. Here was a child who would not react well to being powerless ever again, for his sake or for anyone else's … and how would he react in Sheev's situation? Would he forgive those who brought his world crashing down, or would he strike out in fury and in grief? In those early years, the answer seemed obvious … but then, Anakin began to grow and change. Not just as a Jedi, but as a human being.

Even during that first meeting, Sheev could see that the youngster adored his (very) young Master. Even then, he could see that next to losing his mother, losing his Master would be the single most devastating thing to happen to little Anakin. Here recently, it seemed he would find out just how far Anakin would go to avenge Obi-Wan Kenobi, but then, a miracle happened. Anakin and Kenobi's wife Asajj found the missing Knight. Alive … badly injured, but alive. Dealing with an incorrect set of memories, but alive. Struggling to remember the life he created with his wife and twin children, but alive. And Sheev wanted to hate him for that. Why was he alive, and Sheev's precious Jasleen dead? He wanted to hate him, but he couldn't. Dammit.

He turned away from his view of Coruscant, making a face at the mountain of paperwork awaiting him on his desk. How did he end up with this job? Oh, right … because he goaded the former queen of his home planet into calling for a vote of no confidence in Finis Valorum. And why had he done that? Because Valorum stalled a program that might have saved Jasleen's life (or might not have done anything), and Sheev wanted to get back at him. Oh yes, that was turning out so well for him.

Especially since the Jedi Order, as a whole, trusted Valorum far more than they did him. Under ordinary circumstances, that wouldn't bother him … but lack of trust meant they were less likely to tell him things that he actually needed to know. Such as, where Kenobi was found. Sheev had little use for the Jedi, but it didn't look good for the Republic when one of its finest Jedi generals was abducted whilst on peace-keeping mission. Of course, it didn't look especially good for the CIS, especially not for their claims that they just wanted to be left alone. In fact … Sheev began to smile as something occurred to him.

While he went through the same junior legislator program that Amidala graduated from, Sheev also educated himself on communication … more to the point, how communication, the holonet and the media could be used to manipulate people. And he had an incredible talent in that area. If he'd been interested in power, rather than just being left the hell alone in the wake of his daughter's death, he could have probably taken over the galaxy. But then, why would he want to do that? Ruling the galaxy, the entire galaxy, took entirely too much energy and wasn't worth it in the end. He began writing a speech to be delivered at the press conference that would be taking place the following day at the Jedi Temple.

While the Jedi didn't particularly like him (well, that was more than fair, since it was a hundred percent mutual), he would be permitted to speak at that press conference. He was the Chancellor, after all, and he was Obi-Wan Kenobi's Supreme Commander. And it was long past time he reminded people of that fact, along with what happened to people who thought they could harm a sitting Galactic Senator and a Jedi Knight without reprisal.

Speech first … message later. And as he wrote out his notes, Sheev's eyes kept sliding to the holo of his daughter, his precious Jasleen. Maybe he would even deliver his message in person. It was so long since he flexed his Force muscles, and like all muscles, they needed practice. No, Sheev wasn't a good man, in any sense of the word … and there were days when he reveled in that knowledge. This was one of those days.

TBC


	10. Unexpected Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Yoda have a much needed talk, as Obi-Wan continues to remember the true reality.

"Speak with you, I must. With their mother, your children are?"

Obi-Wan was in the midst of reading over reports he'd received from Commander Cody (prefaced with a 'thank the little gods you're all right, sir, we were beyond worried') when the door chime sounded. Knowing full well it wasn't Anakin (the boy would have likely rewired the circuits if he'd left his apartment key behind), much less Asajj, Obi-Wan answered to find the Grandmaster of the Order (and his own grandmaster) standing before him. And Yoda, while 'agitated' was the wrong word to use, clearly was bothered by something.

"Of course, Grandmaster, please come in … the tea isn't ready yet. The twins are actually with the crèche masters at the moment. Something was said about wanting the younglings to have more to do with infants? Asajj is meeting with Queen Breha again, and Anakin was heading to the training salles. So, I've been catching up with the reports from the war," Obi-Wan answered, leading his grandmaster into the apartment. Yoda hummed, and taking a chance from ghostly memories (that didn't quite feel like his, although Asajj's delight when he mentioned them assured him that they were real), Obi-Wan asked, "What troubles you, Master?"

"Many things, yes … many things. Wary of this war, I am … wary and weary. Angry, I am … yes, angry I am, about your dreams. How you became a padawan, of this I wish to hear again," Yoda answered. Obi-Wan flinched, ever so slightly … that time of his (false) life was proving to be more and more painful as memories of his real life began awakening. However, he relayed to Yoda about his childhood, and how close he came to never being taken as a padawan … and even the early years as Qui-Gon's padawan.

And just as he had when he first heard about that time, his grandmaster shook his head, his ears flattening along the curve of his head. This time, however, he muttered under his breath, "Like to whack that other Yoda with my cane, I would! A child, you were! Understand, I do … damaged, Qui-Gon was. But a therapy animal, you are not!" Much to his chagrin, a laugh was surprised out of Obi-Wan with that observation. Unexpectedly, Yoda smiled and patted his knee, adding, "Better, you are. Missed our Obi-Wan, we have."

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan began, but Yoda leveled a Look at him that he vaguely remembered from his first years as a Knight (usually when he was trying to run interference for Asajj getting into mischief). He ducked his head, murmuring, "Those other memories … they're growing more distant. I remember so much more now … the day I married Asajj. Luke and Leia being placed in my arms. Master's hands on my shoulders as he took me as his padawan. His expression when he told me that he was my father. It's becoming real to me now."

"Know this, I do … see it in your smile, hear it in your laughter. Did wrong, that other Council did. Much wrong done, to many. Not just to you, not just to Anakin. Intended, it was not … but happened, it did. Much pain here, there is. Needed a mindhealer, Qui-Gon did … not a padawan. As did Xanatos. Realize he was hurting, too, we did not … lost them both as a result, we did. But caught in the crossfire, you were not. Permit that, Yan would not," Yoda told him. Yes, he was starting to realize that. His father was extremely protective of him, protecting him even from his contentious relationship with Uncle Cliegg. And wasn't that strange … Cliegg Lars was his uncle. Owen Lars was his cousin … which made Anakin his cousin as well, by virtue of his mother's marriage to Cliegg.

Equally strange … Owen actually liked Obi-Wan. Then again, there was none of the baggage this time around. And while Beru clearly didn't like traveling, she just as clearly did expect to be there for her family, just as they would be there for her. The first time Obi-Wan actually saw his uncle Cliegg laugh, he'd been watching the twins play with Vashti. Luke and Leia were fascinated by their little cousin, and she was utterly enthralled with them. Uncle Cliegg murmured that was one thing he regretted most … he never had the opportunity to see Obi-Wan and Owen playing like that as children.

That brought him to Shmi. He hesitantly asked her if he was to call her 'Aunt Shmi,' since she was married to his uncle. She cupped his face in her hands and said softly, 'You, my dear boy, are to call me whatever you like. Just understand this … you are just as much one of my boys as Owen and Anakin are. You have been from the moment I watched you shielding my Ani with your own body.' All right then.

One of the things he hated most about awakening in this new reality (true reality) was how his emotions often seemed to careen out of control over utterly foolish things. That was the case now, as he found himself fighting back tears at that memory, and he wasn't even sure what they were for. Yoda hummed and said, "Much pain, you experienced. Painfully real, those false memories are. Blame yourself, you should not … hard to tell the difference, it is."

Obi-Wan offered his grandmaster a tired smile, asking, "Even for you?" Along the latent bond that never quite died between himself and his first teacher, he heard, 'especially for me.' Obi-Wan nodded, murmuring, "I still feel as if I'm failing someone."

"Failing only yourself, you are … expect too much of yourself, you do. False memories these were, yes … but left a mark on your soul, they have. Particularly unforgivable, I find that," Yoda grumped and Obi-Wan smiled in spite of himself. The two Jedi were silent for some time, before Yoda murmured, "Taken for a reason, you were." Obi-Wan looked at his grandmaster, who continued, "Random, it was not." And that was what was troubling Obi-Wan as well, now that he had a chance to think about his time in captivity. Obviously, Sidious set a trap. Just as obviously, he wanted Obi-Wan out of the way. The question was, what was the end game?

He said softly, "Sidious managed to gain control of Anakin in the dreamworld when I went to Utapau to confront General Grievous. He played on Anakin's fears for his wife, had been grooming him all along. But … he had six months to strike, and Anakin is nowhere near falling. So … what is he up to?" Yoda shook his head, and the two Jedi once more lapsed into a contemplative silence. At least, it was contemplative for Obi-Wan. However, it was something else entirely for Yoda.

The Grandmaster of the Order answered, "A chance to find out, we have. Asked to see you, the Chancellor has." Obi-Wan swallowed hard and nodded, maintaining contact with Yoda. This wasn't being asked lightly of him, he knew that. And really, it was more of a surprise that this summons hadn't come sooner. Very well. He would do his duty. And somehow, he would find the strength within himself not to give himself away. If Sheev Palpatine was Darth Sidious in this reality, Obi-Wan would not give him an excuse to destroy the Jedi. And somehow, he would find a way to save the Clones as well.

TBC


	11. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Palpatine meet face to face. It doesn't go as either expects ... and Sidious makes a very dangerous enemy.

Chancellor Palpatine's Office  
Coruscant  
Three Days Later

He was actually a little surprised when he was commed by the Jedi Council, notifying him that Master Kenobi 'accepted his kind invitation,' and would be arriving this afternoon. The Jedi Council knew, and Sheev Palpatine knew that they knew, that this was no invitation, but a summons. However, there were particular political niceties that had to be observed, even though he wasn't permitted to see Kenobi at the press conference. While the Jedi served the Senate, they were an independent group … and had grown ever more independent over the last several years, much to Sheev's dismay. Who could blame him, when theoretically, they could have the Jedi Order at their command at the snap of their fingers? On the other hand, they could also prove to be a horrific headache.

Master Yoda warned when Sheev was elected Chancellor in Finis Valorum's place, in that horribly mangled syntax of his (really, how did the Jedi manage to understand what he said without a translator? Then again, most of them were at least partially raised by the little green troll, so maybe their translator was built into their minds) that the Jedi would continue to serve the Senate, only as long as they believed the Senate had the best interests of the galaxy at heart. It was also the only reason why the Jedi consented to acting as generals once these new wars began … well, that and they didn't trust that the clones would be treated as sentient human beings. Sheev couldn't really blame them there.

He also couldn't blame them for not trusting him. He'd made several missteps in dealing with the Separatists, which led to this damnable Galactic Civil War … but when a peaceful Nabooian yacht was blown out of the sky, that was the final straw for Sheev. As annoying as he found nearly everyone from his home planet, he wouldn't tolerate such attacks on any citizen of the Republic. He was corrupt, yes … he really didn't like most people, but he was the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, and it was his job to protect all Galactic Citizens. He'd ordered immediate retaliation, ignoring the excuses from the Separatist Council that they were informed the yacht in question was carrying a deadly disease (because shooting down a ship carrying a communicable disease totally wouldn't spread that disease. Idiots).

Much to his astonishment, the Jedi Council actually backed him up on that count, the Master of the Order observing drily, "There are such things as quarantines, after all … even if there was a disease on board, destroying the ship likely would have spread that disease even quicker." Indeed. He was well aware that Master Windu didn't like him (that was fine, Sheev didn't particularly like him, either), but that didn't mean they couldn't respect each other. Besides, Sheev knew the part Master Windu played in the Reformation of the Jedi Order. Finis Valorum told him the story, not long after he first arrived on Coruscant. He even went so far as to point out not just Mace Windu, but the Master and Padawan (father and son) who were at the heart of those changes … Yan Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

And that brought his attention right back to the meeting that would take place here in his office, in just a few minutes. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the young Master who was captured and tortured over the course of six months whilst accompanying the Lady of Telos (yet another of Padme Amidala's titles) on a peacekeeping mission. He still didn't know the nature of the torture … the boy had been back for nearly six weeks, and had yet to make an appearance at the Senate to testify about his captivity. The Jedi Council (indeed, the entire Jedi Order) closed ranks protectively around their returned knight, no matter what the Senate threatened to do. Of course, that drew the ire of the Viceroy of Alderaan, who swore to block any proposal submitted by those parties making such threats. The august body knew better than to ignore such an oath from Bail Organa. While Sheev found him nearly as annoying as Padme Amidala, he also respected the younger man. They had very different viewpoints, but Bail Organa put his credit chips where his mouth was. Sheev wasn't sure if he believed in honor, but he had to respect a man who was willing to do what he ordered others to do. He also knew that on those rare occasions when Bail Organa made such a vow, Queen Breha backed up her husband. There weren't many people whom this particular Palpatine feared, but Breha Organa was among those Chosen Few. A peaceful woman she was, but no less fierce and no less formidable.

There was a knock at the door, and his assistant poked her head inside. And speaking of annoying people from his home planet … oh, she was competent enough (after he spent the better part of three years training her). In truth, the only reason he brought her to Coruscant with him was because she was his daughter's best friend. Even now, he found it hard to let go of his girl. Most likely, he always would. Kimi Pelonite said in that obnoxiously cheerful, lilting voice of hers, "Master Kenobi has arrived, Chancellor!" Sheev forced himself not to roll his eyes and instead, inclined his head. The young Jedi entered the room only seconds later.

He was … different. Yes, he was several years older than the first time Sheev saw him, naturally. But … he felt different in the Force. Older, sadder … so much sadder, as if the young man before him lived a lifetime full of sorrow. However, he smiled and bowed first to Kimi, and then to the Chancellor. Kimi beamed at him with her most obnoxious smile … oh, stars no, please don't tell him she was about to start flirting with Master Kenobi? He was a happily married man, for Force's sake! Oh yes … there were the eyelashes starting to bat. However, the young man turning his full attention to the Chancellor quickly nipped any attempts Kimi might have made at flirting (even so, he really needed to have a talk with her later on). Sheev nodded to her, and then the door, quietly dismissing her.

He'd known that the Jedi before him was not the same Knight who left with Padme Amidala all those months before. Even so, he was stunned when the young man canted his head to one side, studying him intently, before saying, "I hadn't realized you were Force-sensitive, Chancellor. Your parents weren't interested in having you trained?" Sheev felt his jaw drop in clear astonishment. Yes, he had shields … but not so high or so reinforced that no one could have noticed his sensitivity to the Force. But no one ever noticed.

Without really caring that he'd lost control of the conversation, he asked, "Who … are you? I knew Master Kenobi … not very well, mind you, but he never noticed that I was Force-sensitive during the few times we met." A small smile touched the younger man's lips, small and sad, and once more, the Chancellor shuddered at the waves of pain, of grief, emanating from a man who was barely thirty-six standard years of age.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi … I am a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a teacher, a nephew, a cousin, a student, a Jedi. It's true that I'm not the same Obi-Wan Kenobi that you remember … from a certain point of view … but that's because I've returned from a very long journey. I've seen things that aren't true, things that could be true, and things that have been warped from the truth. I've learned that the most successful of lies are surrounded by pieces of the truth. You are not entirely what you seem to be, Chancellor … but right now, I'm not sure if that's for good or for ill," the young man replied, a frown furrowing his brow. Palpatine wanted to order the Knight from his office. Wanted to rail at him for looking past the end of his own nose.

But he couldn't. He always wondered what he would do if a Jedi, if any Jedi, saw through his shields. While the Order reformed itself when Kenobi was a baby, it still tended to be rather short-sighted. More than that, he had the sense that Kenobi startled himself with his observation … that his first words were supposed to be something else entirely. And speaking of words, Sheev needed to come up with words of his own. The trouble was, those words of his, which he was so good at using for his own ends, deserted him.

But finally, he managed to say, "The same could be said of you." And he could have smacked himself, because really? That was the best he could do? Especially since Kenobi admitted as much. Then again, this was all Kenobi's fault anyhow … coming in here and wrong-footing him so badly. The corners of the Jedi's mouth twitched and Palpatine scowled, adding with more than a touch of petulance, "I've done nothing wrong!" Right, and that will make the boy even more suspicious of him than he likely already was.

That drew a smirk from the young man, who mildly pointed out, "I did tell you that I was different from the Obi-Wan Kenobi you likely remember. And I haven't accused you of any wrongdoing." Yet. The Knight went on, "I just found it strange that I just now noticed that you were Force-sensitive. Your shields are strong, yes, but you're not hiding your Force-signature." Now Sheev was hopelessly lost. No, he didn't hide his Force-signature or his Force-sensitivity. He didn't advertise it, but he also didn't hide it. The Knight added thoughtfully, reaching up to rub at his beard, "It would seem that we have more to discuss than I realized." Well, that was an interesting statement!

SWSWSWSWSWSW

He wasn't sure how he would react when he arrived at the office of the Chancellor. Mace hadn't wanted him to come … Asajj especially didn't want him to come, and he really tried to avoid thinking about what his gran …what his Master and father said about this meeting with Palpatine. While it was steadily becoming easier to call the man he once knew as his grandmaster (and Count Dooku) 'Master,' calling him 'Papa' was taking a little more work. Fortunately, his father was being incredibly patient … as well as protective.

And Obi-Wan couldn't even call him 'overprotective.' Given who Sidious was in the other world, his father had every reason imaginable to not want Obi-Wan anywhere near that man. Never mind that Obi-Wan was thirty-six, and was under serious consideration to become a Master once Anakin was Knighted … he was Yan Dooku's son, and that drive to protect him would be there for the rest of his life. Looking into the eyes of his own children, Obi-Wan had known that truth, and it was no different for his father. (Anakin's reaction was even more explosive … and expletive-ridden)

But standing here now, in the Chancellor's office, Obi-Wan was growing more and more convinced that Sheev Palpatine was not the Sith Lord in this reality. He wasn't necessarily a good man (he was a politician, after all), but Obi-Wan didn't believe he was the Sith Lord. He acknowledged that he was Force-sensitive, rather than hiding it under several layers of shielding, for one thing. And for another … Palpatine wasn't behaving like the man in his false memories. That didn't mean that he trusted him. He didn't. He couldn't.

The man surprised him again, when he said quietly, "I've shielded my Force-sensitivity since my daughter was killed." Daughter? Obi-Wan tried to think if the other Sheev Palpatine had a daughter, but he didn't remember hearing of her. The Chancellor went on, "It's not exactly common knowledge. Her name was Jasleen. She was twenty-two years old, and she was the most beautiful child in the galaxy. She was the entire universe to me."

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked softly and he was rewarded with a sad smile as the Chancellor gestured for him to have a seat, before sitting behind his desk. Obi-Wan did so, wondering if he was wrong to even ask. No … no, the Force was quietly urging him on, telling him that this was important, more important the simple loss of a beautiful young woman. Jasleen Palpatine's death was important … tied-to-the-Sith important.

"It was … something that should have never happened. I hope you can forgive me for not giving you the details, but Jasleen was badly injured. There was … if she'd gotten help, she wouldn't have died, it was a survivable injury. But … that was the problem, wasn't it? She just … sometimes, she would lay where she fell, and other times, she would try to crawl, try to save herself. But no one would help her. Not a single, solitary person. So much for the great people of Naboo," the Chancellor said bitterly. Now that did come as a shock to Obi-Wan, but he disregarded his shock and horror over that revelation to sift through what else the Chancellor said. A survivable injury … but no one stopped to help her.

The Force urged him forward, and he closed his eyes, focusing on what he was told about Jasleen Palpatine's death, and what he witnessed in the false reality. There was something important here … wait. He was vaguely aware of the Chancellor opposite him, but right now … focus. Just … focus. He 'saw' himself as the old 'wizard,' Ben Kenobi in that other reality, mind-tricking Stormtroopers. He saw the other Chancellor burying his Force-sensitivity and projecting the mien of a gentle, sad man trying to hold together a world falling apart. And then he knew. Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open.

"Chancellor," he said, choosing his words very carefully, "I can't imagine how deeply that wounded you. However, the Force has revealed something to me, something that it wishes you to know. I cannot say for sure how it was done, but I suspect that the reason no one stopped to help your daughter … was because no one saw her." Palpatine's lips parted, and Obi-Wan could see the pieces starting to fit together in the other man's mind. He also saw the moment the conclusion was reached. However, Obi-Wan inclined his head and said with as much gentleness as he could gather, "Yes, Chancellor … your daughter was murdered. Not by the people of Naboo, but by a Sith."

And then, Palpatine's Force signature escaped its restraints, flooding the room with rage, hurt, grief, and oh yes, guilt, too. But no disbelief as he rose to his feet and ranted in a language Obi-Wan didn't understand. Not a hint of it. That's when the Force offered another revelation to Obi-Wan, as he breathed, "You've been contacted by Sidious." The Chancellor collapsed back into his chair, nodding as he ran his hand over his face. In the other reality, Sidious reached out to Master Dooku in the wake of Qui-Gon's death … and in this reality, he reached out to Palpatine after the death of his daughter's death. And Sidious had a hand in both deaths.

The Force warned him that it wasn't yet time to tell the Chancellor about the other reality. He wasn't ready to hear it, and Obi-Wan wasn't ready to trust him. There were other things that needed to fall into place. For now, however, there were other things that should be said. Obi-Wan reached his hand across the desk to gently lay it on the Chancellor's wrist as he said softly, "I am so … so very sorry for your loss. Can you tell me about her, about your Jasleen?" There was a soft little gasp, as Palpatine raised his head to look at Obi-Wan.

His eyes were filled with unshed tears, and he whispered, "You're the first person who has ever asked me that. Damn you to the Sith hells, Kenobi … I wanted so much to hate you. The Jedi got their lost son back, and I will never get my Jasleen back. Damn you for not letting me hate you. Especially since Jasleen would have loved you. She was so beautiful, like I told you. Tiny. She had the most beautiful copper hair, and a smile that could turn night into day. And oh, her heart … she had such a big heart. She would do anything for anyone, whether she knew them or not. And the Sith took her from me … my beautiful baby girl, and they took her from me." His voice turned cold and determined. Whoever Sidious was in this reality, he had just made a powerful enemy … one far more dangerous than the Jedi.

TBC


	12. What Our Hearts Remember Stays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan relays what he learned to his Master and Grandmaster; later, he's reunited with someone he was trying to protect; Xanatos returns to the Jedi Temple for the first time since Obi-Wan and Asajj's wedding; and a galaxy-changing bombshell is dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title comes from Two Steps From Hell song, 'Star Sky.'

Jedi Temple  
Coruscant  
Later that Day

"Believe him, you do."

"I do, Master Yoda … he wasn't even trying to hide his Force-signature. The Palpatine in my memories hid his own Force-signature under so many layers of shielding, not even your counterpart sensed anything, even after he was in power for thirteen years. And his reaction when he realized that the Sith were responsible for his daughter's death … maybe he was acting. Maybe he was playing a part to lure me in, but I just don't think so."

Obi-Wan sat cross-legged in front of his grandmaster, his own Master a reassuring presence at his side. Upon returning from the Chancellor's office, he'd paused long enough to reassure Asajj and Anakin, kiss his twins, and corral his Master before answering his grandmaster's summons. There in Yoda's quarters, he revealed what he learned during his conversation with the Chancellor. And because it really did need to be said, he added, "I believe that he's not the Sith Master. I believe him when he says that his daughter was his whole world. That doesn't mean I completely trust him."

He blithely ignored his master's muttered, "Of course you don't, because that would make you a fool, and I neither fathered nor raised a fool!" Besides, there was something else here that troubled Obi-Wan, the more he thought about it. And because he was neither fathered by nor raised by a fool, he was just waiting on his master to figure out as well. In the meantime, he took a sip of tea, closing his eyes as the warmth trickled down his throat. Three … two … And Obi-Wan's father added, sounding suspicious, "And if Palpatine isn't the Sith, then who in the name of the Force kidnapped Obi-Wan and had him hooked up to that contraption? Oh, I know that Sidious was working through another party, but those false memories …"

"Exactly," Obi-Wan said quietly. He looked first at his father, then at his grandmaster, saying, "Whoever captured me made sure that it was neither easy to find me, nor free me. But in the event that I was freed, they were banking on my being either too traumatized to see past the horror, or too wary of Palpatine to even think about approaching him. The more I think about it, the more I think this is the most elaborate case of misdirection ever. It doesn't put us any closer to learning who the Sith Master is, but what if those memories were implanted to make us suspect Palpatine? Quite a few people have never forgiven him for manipulating Amidala into calling for the vote of no confidence in Valorum. And while the Jedi have been the primary face of the Republic during the course of the war, Palpatine is the one ultimately in charge."

"Raise good points, you do. Know the identity of Darth Sidious, we do not. But progress, this is," Yoda observed. Obi-Wan sat back, listing against his father, who put a hand on his shoulder. His grandmaster continued, "Time for you to rest, it is … much progress, you have made. But still recovering, you are." Obi-Wan didn't even bother arguing with Yoda, simply allowed his father to pull him to his feet. And Yoda, because he really was a cheeky little troll when he so chose (which was most of the time), added, "Tuck him in, you may, my padawan." Obi-Wan gave into the impulse to facepalm, much to his father's amusement. The elder Jedi wrapped his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders and led him from Yoda's quarters. The father and son were silent for most of the journey to the quarters Obi-Wan shared with his wife and children.

However, his father said quietly as they neared the Kenobi-Ventress-Skywalker quarters, "I am very proud of you, you know." Obi-Wan looked up (and why did he keep getting the extra-tall masters and equally tall padawans? He wasn't really short, but Force take it all, couldn't he have inherited even some of his father's height?). His father went on, dark eyes twinkling with laughter as if hearing his thoughts, "I truly am. I was beyond worried while you were with the Chancellor. Not just because you're still healing, but because of who that man was in your dreams. I just got you back, boy, and to lose you now … "

Obi-Wan stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to face his father … who was blinking back tears. The older man said thickly, "I would find a way to go on … to take care of Asajj and the children, including Anakin. But a part of my heart would have gone with you. You are much like me in that respect … you demonstrate your love for others in your deeds, rather than your words. Anakin had a hard time understanding that at first … had a hard time understanding that while I don't say the words, I love you even more than he does. And perhaps I don't say it nearly enough. But I love you, my dearest child … more than words can ever express."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Master waved his hand, an old gesture that meant he wasn't done yet, and went on, "I know … I know you're still adjusting to the truth, to the real truth. And you don't have to say it back, not until you're ready to. Not until the words simply come out of your mouth. But while you were gone … while you were gone, all three of us had a lot of thinking to do, about what we wanted when you came back. We thought about our regrets, and what we would have done, what we would do when you came home to us. And I swore to myself that I would say the words, far more than I'd done in the past. I love you, Obi-Wan. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I am so … so very proud of you."

The young man swallowed hard, and he admitted through the Force-enhanced boulder residing in his throat, "I … I'm not sure if I'm ready. But I do remember that … I …" His father seemed to understand, for his eyes lit up and he beamed down at Obi-Wan, his hands coming to rest on his shoulders, before pulling him into a fierce embrace. Obi-Wan accepted it gratefully, and it was as if another piece fit into place for him. He murmured, "Papa … I called you 'Papa,' didn't I? Once I accepted that you were my father, I alternated between calling you 'Papa' and Master." His father's arms tightened around him … and that was answer enough. Obi-Wan was remembering. Day by day, he was taking back more of his own life.

They likely would have stood there for several more moments, but it was then that Mace Windu joined them. The Councilor looked tense … not upset, but tense. As if something new happened … something that Mace wasn't sure about. The Master of the Order said quietly, "Obi-Wan, Yan … we need you both in Council Chambers. Xanatos came for a visit." Obi-Wan, who now knew most of Xanatos' history in this reality, raised his brows. But the biggest surprise was yet to come, as Mace added, "He's not alone. He brought his nephew and his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law is Jango Fett … and he's saying that he sent the message that helped us find you."

Father and son exchanged another look … and then as Mace spun on his heel, the pair fell into step beside him. Here was a new wrinkle, indeed!

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Council Chambers  
Jedi Temple

After his father's death, Xanatos du Crion swore to never return to the Jedi Temple. However, this afternoon marked the third time he'd broken his word in the last five years. The first time was for Obi-Wan's wedding (a memory which still made Xan cringe. The ceremony itself was beautiful. It was what came after that was embarrassing) … the second time was when he returned with his unconscious brother Jedi after helping Anakin and Asajj to rescue him. And, since he was dropping off Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Asajj, that second time didn't really count. His ship was here, but his body remained inside the ship.

And now today. To his right, his brother-in-law was looking around, his body language all but screaming, 'I don't want to be here, get me out.' He stayed put, because like it or not (and Jango really, really didn't), the Jedi were his best bet to protect Boba. Sidious merely knowing of the boy's existence posed a threat. Add to that the Sith Lord almost certainly knew that it was Jango who alerted the Jedi to the location of their missing knight, and yes, Boba was without question in danger. Speaking of Xan's nephew … Boba was currently peeking out the windows of the Council Chambers. Xan briefly thought about calling the boy back to his side or his father's with a reminder that they were guests in someone else's home, then chose not to … this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the youngster. Let him enjoy it while he could. Besides, it would likely annoy a few of the Councilors, and that was always good for a laugh.

However, it wasn't Councilors who entered the Chambers with Mace Windu only seconds later but Xan's young 'uncle' and grandmaster. And it wasn't Xan who had a chance to greet his little brother, but Boba, who spun around and cried out, "Obi-Wan!" He darted away from the window, racing to the stunned young man and Xan cringed, just knowing that this wasn't about to end well. But, as he had a tendency to do, Obi-Wan surprised him. As Boba reached the younger man, Obi-Wan snapped out of whatever had his eyes glazing over.

And he opened his arms to Boba, dropping to one knee, breathing, "Boba! Thank the Force you're all right! The last thing I remember was that uncivilized brute threatening you!" He swept Xan's nephew up into a fierce embrace, and Xan stared in shock. Uhm … okay. That was … unexpected to say the least. Boba, for his own part, was holding on for dear life in a way that he didn't do with anyone except Xan and his own father.

"He never had the chance … you protected me, Obi-Wan, just like you said you would! You protected me, and that's when they decided to leave you in that awful thing for good. You always told me to be careful, but I didn't listen and you got hurt even worse because of it!" Boba cried out. Xan felt his blood run cold, because this was something Boba hadn't mentioned in his earlier conversation with his nephew and his brother-in-law. From the worried expression on Jango's face, it seemed unlikely that the boy's father heard about it, either.

Gone were any thoughts about annoying the Councilors, any of the Councilors. Something was pressing on Xan's chest, in a way he hadn't felt since Alazne died, in a way he hadn't felt since his father died. Obi-Wan merely held his nephew even tighter, murmuring, "You had something to tell me, I remember that now … you were so frightened, but before you had the chance to say anything … that's when they put me in the machine. You … you did hide, didn't you? Like I told you?" Boba's raven head was bobbing up and down against Obi-Wan's shoulder. More people appeared in the Council Chambers … Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan's fierce wife, and Master Yoda. Anakin moved forward, as if to go to his Master, but Asajj stopped him with a hand around his forearm and a quick shake of her head.

"I hid … I hid real good. I tried to wake you, but you couldn't hear me. I heard you, though … I heard what you were seeing. And when Dad came back, we sent the message to the Jedi. And … and he shorted out the Force suppressing collar they had around your neck. He couldn't remove it, or even deactivate it, but he did short it out. Did that help your family to find you?" Boba asked, pulling back to look at Obi-Wan worriedly.

"In more ways than one," Obi-Wan answered, walking to one of the seats and sitting down. Xan blinked and glanced over his shoulder to look at Mace Windu … but the Councilor didn't protest at all. Nor did the little green troll. Obi-Wan settled Boba in his lap, and nodded to the rest of his family … who nearly knocked Xan over in their rush to join their beloved one. Obi-Wan went on, "When your father shorted out the collar, my son could sense me in the Force. So that was very well done. Now … since you wouldn't tell me at the time, will you tell me now why our genial host was so intent on capturing you?"

This was said with a raised eyebrow, and Xan exchanged a look with Jango, both suppressing a grin at the 'dad' voice Kenobi was using. Boba offered, squirming just a bit in Obi-Wan's lap, "Well, there really wasn't time to tell you when it happened?" That eyebrow arched further and a glance at his grandmaster told Xan that Yan Dooku wasn't even bothering to hide his grin as he listened to the conversation between his son and Xan's nephew. Boba sighed and all but collapsed against Obi-Wan's chest, finally admitting, "I kinda heard … and saw … something I wasn't supposed to see. It was about you. I saw him talking to his boss."

The atmosphere in the Council Chambers changed dramatically. Mace Windu stood up straighter, sucking in a breath as he stared at Boba; while Master Yoda moved further into the room to address the boy, "Saw the Sith Lord, you did? Darth Sidious?" Boba nodded, though he looked curiously at the Grandmaster of the Order. Trying to make sure that he was understanding the mangled syntax correctly? More than likely. However, Xan noticed that Obi-Wan looked alarmed now. Actually, forget alarmed … he looked scared.

"You overheard one of their conversations … and saw Darth Sidious?" Obi-Wan asked in confirmation, and Boba nodded. Xan was just staring at his nephew in consternation. Dark Jedi were bad enough, but Sith were even worse. Obi-Wan raised his eyes to look at Windu, Yoda, and Grandmaster Dooku. Xan noticed Anakin and Asajj exchanging a glance and moving closer to their knight. And then Obi-Wan asked the question on everyone's mind (except, perhaps, Jango's), "What can you tell us about him? I know you probably don't recognize him, but any information would be helpful."

"Nope, I definitely didn't recognize this Sidious … and it's not a man, Obi-Wan, it's a woman. A right old hag she was, too," Boba answered. Everyone froze … and then the room exploded into a cacophony of sound. Boba shrank against Obi-Wan, whose arms tightened around him protectively. Xan risked a glanced at Jango, whose jaw was tightening, minute by minute. But in the end, it wasn't Jango or even Obi-Wan who got everyone's attention. Rather, it was the youngest member of their line.

"Hey! Knock it off, you're scaring the kid!" Anakin bellowed at the top of his lungs. Quite an impressive bellow, as it shook some of the dust from the ceiling. Windu grimaced, muttering under his breath, 'thanks a lot, Bratakin.' Obi-Wan's padawan merely stuck his tongue out at the Councilor, before turning back to Boba and saying gently, "Sorry … you just really startled all of us for some reason. Maybe because the Sith Lord in Master Obi-Wan's nightmares was a man. What can you tell us about Darth Sidious?"

"I'm not a kid! I'm almost eleven!" Boba protested, sounding more than a little indignant (maybe even insulted) and Xan tried very hard not to smile, especially when Anakin rolled his eyes (you were no different, Anakin). However, his nephew went on proudly, "I was hiding, training myself to be a Mandalorian warrior, just like my dad!" He sounded so proud, telling this group of Jedi about his father … Xan glanced at his brother-in-law and just knew that there was a lump in Jango's throat, just as there was in his. Boba explained, "This was about … oh, three or four months in. I was always underfoot, but I'd found Obi-Wan not long after he was captured. He was unconscious when I first saw him, but Dad warned me to be careful, 'cause he said a Jedi was dangerous even in his underpants."

Much to Xan's amusement, Obi-Wan blushed at that, but didn't interrupt. Anakin, Asajj, and Grandmaster, however, were all smirking … and he just knew that Asajj was biting back a comment about how she could attest to that. Boba went on, "I guess I viewed it as kind of a game. When Dad was busy or in meetings, I would visit Obi-Wan, mainly 'cause he always talked to me like I was a person … besides, people kept telling me I shouldn't go near him. I didn't stop, even after they beat him for shielding me. They liked hurting him … liked trying to make him cry out, or beg them to stop. He never did, though. The only time he did anything other than fight back was when they realized I was there, and wanted to hurt me, instead. Then he got snarky and made 'em mad, so they would hurt him instead."

"Ever the protector, my dearest boy," Grandmaster murmured, though his eyes were flashing. His voice was gentle, however, as he asked the boy, "What do you remember about the day they put Obi-Wan in that monstrosity … and what do you mean, put him in there for good, child?" Boba glanced at Grandmaster, clearly on the verge of protesting yet again that he wasn't a child, before realizing that to a man in his eighties, he was indeed a child. Grandmaster added with a somewhat strained smile, "And thank you, for looking after my son when I couldn't."

Boba's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "You're Obi-Wan's dad! I'm so glad to meet you! He told me all about you, and Miss Asajj, and the babies, and Niki! Will I have the chance to meet the babies?" This time, Grandmaster smirked as he assured Boba that yes, he would have the chance to meet the twins … right now, they needed to know more about the Sith Lady. Boba nodded determinedly, evidently realizing without being told that not only was he still in danger from Sidious, but so were the babies he wanted so badly to meet. He said, "You're welcome! Uhm, the machine … before then, they would only put him into it for an hour or so, days at most. I think the longest he'd spent in the machine until then was about three days."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, a small frown on his face. Boba went on, "I got to his cell through the ventilator shafts. He said, 'ah, Boba, always good of you to drop in.' I told him that I had something to tell him, and that was when they arrived. Obi-Wan moved in front of me … not even sure if he was afraid I'd done something or if he just wanted to shield me. They pushed him aside and reached for me … and that was when he just exploded into action. One minute, he was catching himself on the side of the table, and the next minute … he was amazing! He took out ten of their guys before one of them was able to knock him out. That's when they put the Force collar on him, and put him in the machine. I … there was a tunnel I'd made when I was bored in the corner. While they were occupied with Obi-Wan, I snuck out through that tunnel. I didn't want to leave him … I didn't! But I didn't know how to help him."

"There was nothing you could have done for me, Boba … they brought in something that rendered Force-users helpless. Once they did that … but how did you make the tunnel? Or is this one of those Mandalorian secrets you were always teasing me about?" Obi-Wan asked, which was pretty much the same thing Xan wondered. According to Anakin, the walls were stone, so how could Boba make a tunnel? Unless … he looked at his nephew, his eyes narrowing as something occurred to him. However, Boba had something else in mind.

"Well … I didn't really make the tunnel. It kinda was already there. I just made it bigger. Like I said, I was scared when I saw and heard Lady Sidious through the ventilation shaft. She was saying that keeping Obi-Wan was the key to making the Chosen One fall … but she needed more time, because the Jedi were closing ranks around him, and her access was growing ever more limited. I didn't see her face, not at first. She wore these robes that hid her face, but not her voice. At one point, though, they made her angry and she started waving her arms. Her hood fell back … when that happened, they bowed their heads. But I didn't. I saw her. She … she's a thousand years old! Well, five hundred at least. She's really, really old … even older than you." This was said to Grandmaster, who wasn't sure if he should be amused or insulted.

"This is very important, Boba … did she say anything else about Anakin, or about that limited access to him?" Obi-Wan asked, blue eyes very intent on Xan's nephew. Boba started to shake his head, and then stopped. He was silent for several moments, as if Obi-Wan's question triggered something he'd either forgotten or hadn't noted at the time. Xan held his breath, because sweet stars, only his nephew would be able to fall into a mess like this just by being a too-curious-for-his-own-good little boy.

"She … she said that the Chancellor sometimes grumbled about how the Council and the war kept him from seeing more of your student. She … she said that the Chancellor was an old fool, but a useful one," Boba answered, his voice rising ever so slightly at the end, as if questioning why that was important … or if it was. And it was. Xan realized it, half a second after Obi-Wan did. Once more, his young 'uncle' tightened his arms around Boba … but Xan's nephew wasn't finished. He added, "She said that it would have been better if she'd gotten to Anakin Skywalker when he was a boy, when she could have poisoned him against you, and against the Jedi. Maybe even focus his attention on Aunt Padme."

"That … that was what happened in Master's nightmares," Anakin breathed … and then his eyes hardened. He was missing the point, though. Actually, no, he wasn't … a moment later, his 'cousin' realized, "Oh … stang. She has access to the Chancellor, doesn't she?" Indeed she did. While that was good news, there were no old women around the Chancellor … that they knew of. But this … this gave them a starting point. They now knew that the Sith Lord was in fact a Sith Lady, and that she had access to the Chancellor.

"Knowing this," Obi-Wan murmured, "we can start working on a plan, a way to trap Lady Sidious." He looked up from Boba's worried little face, a feral smile decorating his face as he looked first at his padawan, then at his wife, and then finally at his father. The rest of the Jedi gathered crowd closer, and Obi-Wan added, "And we should count on her springing the trap. A trap within a trap, a contingency plan. I imagine you can help with that, Xanatos." Because of course he would know there was no way Xan would let this proceed without him.

He wasn't a Jedi any more … hadn't been for some time. And aside from a few individuals (most of whom were gathered in this room), he had no love for them. But he didn't have to. This Lady Sidious, she was a threat to all whom Xan did love. He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Obi-Wan's. But there was another kink to work out yet, in order to ensure that whatever plan they came up with worked. This, however, wasn't something he or Obi-Wan could do. No, this was between his brother-in-law and Grandmaster.

Asajj seemed to understand this, for she said, "One thing at a time. We need more information and input to make this plan, including Jedi who aren't here. Boba? Would you like to meet our twins?" Boba's eyes lit up at the question. He looked first at his father, who nodded curtly, and then at Obi-Wan, who merely grinned. With that settled, Boba jumped down from Obi-Wan's lap and ran to take Asajj's hand. They would leave Jango and Grandmaster in here (and hopefully they, and the Chambers, would be standing when they returned). Besides, he had a question to ask Mace Windu.

Yoda was hobbling along beside Boba, Asajj and Obi-Wan (the latter two holding hands. Honestly, those two were so adorable, it was positively sickening. Of course he loved Padme, but they were never like that. At least, he hoped not). The doors to the Chamber closed behind him, and in a low voice, Xan asked, "So … Obi-Wan in a Councilor's chair? It didn't irk you?" His former Master's closest friend smirked at him and Xan stared at the older man in shock. No … way. There was one reason, and one reason only, for Mace Windu to be smirking like that.

Moments later, Mace confirmed it as he answered in an equally low voice, "Obi-Wan is the leading choice to take a seat on the Council. Originally, when this seat opened up, we were looking at Pong Krell, but his behavior toward the Clones under his command proved he was unfit for a Council seat. Obi-Wan, on the other hand … We were planning to offer it to him when he returned from the detail to protect your wife, but we both know what happened there. Now? Now, we're waiting to defeat Lady Sidious and for Obi-Wan's memories to return more completely. If he survives this encounter, he will have that seat."

Well … that was a definite sign of good things to come! Xanatos murmured, "Then I, for one, shall do all within my power to ensure that Obi-Wan does indeed survive this … because only good things can come of the son of Yan Dooku and Miya Kenobi sitting on the Council. You know, if we didn't know Obi-Wan has a father, I would wonder if he wasn't the real Chosen One, since so many of the Order-changing events have surrounded him." The corners of Mace Windu's mouth quirked.

"You wouldn't be the first … you won't be the last. Prophecy is a funny thing … they can be misinterpreted. They can also be mistranslated. Your former Master assumed Anakin was the fabled Chosen One, because of his high midiclorian count and raw power. But we're imposing human limitations on the Force," the Councilor observed. All true enough. Mace smiled then, a real smile, and for a moment, Xan could see the teenage boy who listened to the Force that night and carried an infant boy to his ailing father. He added, "Besides … I've come to believe that all servants of the Force are Chosen for something."

Also true. And if both the Order itself and the Force was becoming balanced (as it was in the wake of that simple change), then why would it create another Chosen One? And perhaps it didn't matter. Xan looked ahead at his nephew, who was now holding hands with both Obi-Wan and Asajj, placed between them so Obi-Wan could talk to Master Yoda. No … maybe it didn't matter at all. He offered a smile to the man he'd alternately admired and resented throughout his time in the Jedi, and continued to walk alongside him. They still had a Sith to deal with, and a war to end, but they would make it.

Somehow, they would make it.

TBC


	13. Ignite the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yan Dooku and Jango Fett have a much needed conversation; we get a glimpse of sexy times (well, more fluff than sexy times. Those sexy times are more hinted at that anything) between Obi-Wan and Asajj; while Palpatine mourns his daughter … and drops a bombshell of his own.

Council Chambers  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant

"Galidraan ... it was my first mission after taking my son as my padawan."

These were the first words spoken since the others left the Council Chambers. Jango barely noticed their departure … he was too busy reeling from his son's revelations. He cursed himself for the umpteenth time for leaving his son in that place. His boy was in danger because of one of Jango's jobs, and a damn Jedi did a better job of protecting Boba than his own father did! And not just any Jedi, either, oh no, but the son of the Jedi who … He turned back to look at Jedi Master Yan Dooku, who was staring ahead. He looked neither at the door, nor at Jango, but straight ahead.

"I didn't want to leave Obi-Wan … especially not since one of my previous padawans was still coveting him. Another former student accompanied me, and I remember the last thing Obi-Wan said to his older sister-padawan was, 'look after Master for me?' She didn't like him very much … I think she was jealous … but when he said that, she knelt in front of him, and put her hands on his shoulders and swore that she would do just that, and that we would be home soon. Dear Force, what a mess that became," Dooku rasped out hoarsely.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Jango asked hoarsely. He didn't need his memories of that time stirred up … it was bad enough that a Jedi protected his son when Jango couldn't. And yes, his son wouldn't have been in danger if it weren't for that Jedi, but his son befriended Obi-Wan Kenobi because he was lonely: a child left among the scum of the galaxy while his father … no. He couldn't blame Kenobi for any of this. He merely offered a lonely little boy companionship. If there was anyone at fault here, aside from this Lady Sidious, it was Jango himself. That didn't mean that he forgave Kenobi's father. He didn't. He couldn't.

"Because it needs to be said. For more than twenty years, I have pleaded with the Force to give me a way to atone for Galidraan. For what I did, for what Komari did. And it did … but not in a way I expected. That's the way of the Force, though. It acted through my son to save yours. I don't expect you to forgive me. In truth, I can't forgive myself. I suppose that's why I reacted so badly when I returned to the Temple without Komari, only to find my former padawan still saying that Obi-Wan should have been his … saying that Obi-Wan could have saved him. Of that, I have no doubt … but it wasn't Obi-Wan's job to save him," Yan Dooku replied.

Jango turned more fully to face him, stunned by this statement, and questioned, "Save him? Your kid was what, twelve? What was he supposed to save Jinn from, himself?" Dooku merely smirked bitterly and Jango stared at the old man in shock. That … that was exactly what Jinn was expecting. He knew most of the story between Jinn and Xan, knew about the events that led to his brother-in-law leaving the Jedi. The resulting fallout hurt them both, but Jinn was a grown man … Kenobi was a baby Jedi! He breathed, "What in the name of the Void is wrong with your Order, putting the responsibility of saving a fripping Master onto the shoulders of a kid?"

"It wasn't the entire Order … just one man. He had a great sensitivity to the Living Force, and yet believed in the Prophecy of the Chosen One. He was a mass of contradictions, my former Padawan, and I believe he saw a potential future where Obi-Wan was his padawan and drew him out of his grief and guilt back into the Light," the older man answered. Jango had no idea what the Living Force was, but it was still one kriffed-up way to look at the galaxy, and he said so. Dooku snorted and replied, "Oh, I agree completely. As to the Force … there are different aspects to it. Not just Light and Dark, but Living and Unifying. The Living side of the Force … no. Are you familiar with the saying, 'seeing the forest for the trees,' or the variations thereof?"

Jango nodded and Dooku went on, "Those sensitive to the Living Force see the trees … or, they focus more on the trees. Those sensitive to the Unifying Force, such as Obi-Wan, see the forest. In other words, those sensitive to the Unifying Force see the big picture … those sensitive to the Living Force see the small. Both are needed, and need to be in balance with each other." That … actually made sense. Sort of. Jango thought about his own life, about his lost wife, and something else occurred to him.

"I've noticed in listening to people who look at the small picture … they have a tendency to think theirs is the only correct interpretation, that people who look at the big picture don't care as much. When the truth is, they actually care more," he observed. In the past, he told people that he was just a simple man, trying to make his way in the galaxy and raise his son. And that was true. He didn't have time for philosophy or high ideals. But he'd worked with organizations, sometimes partnering with them to take out truly despicable people, and organizations were made up of people who had to look at the small and large pictures. And that? That was something he noticed in just about everyone who looked exclusively at the small picture.

"I wouldn't say that's exactly true with the users of the Living Force and the Unifying Force, but you're on the right track," Dooku answered. He didn't specify which side of the Force he was, but Jango supposed it didn't matter. The Master was silent for several moments, before saying softly, "I suspect we will never be friends … nor will we trust each other. Too much lies between us. But for the sake of our sons … can we at least put Galidraan to one side, until the Sith Lady, whoever she is, has been dealt with?"

And that was the whole thing, wasn't it? He couldn't forgive or trust Dooku … but this Lady Sidious was a far greater threat to Jango and those who mattered to him than a remorseful old Jedi who acknowledged he'd fripped up. Jango didn't have any great ideals beyond keeping himself and his child alive … but he had to see what a threat Sidious posed to the galaxy as a whole, the galaxy in which Jango lived and in which he was trying to raise Alazne's final gift to him. He answered quietly, "This changes nothing between us, old man … and when this Sidious bitch is dealt with, there will be a reckoning. But only then."

Jedi Master Yan Dooku inclined his head, murmuring, "So be it." And that concluded that. Now, Jango had a more pressing, and practical, issue to deal with. Where in the stars were he and Boba going to stay? Well, yes, they could stay on the Queen of Naboo (but he would really rather not). As if hearing his thoughts (which he probably did … damn him), Dooku added, "And there will be accommodations here for you … for your protection as well as ours." Really, this was the last place Jango had any desire to stay … but Boba's well-being came before his own comfort. Besides, it would give him a chance to get to know Kenobi as more than his son's savior and Dooku's padawan/son. Give him a chance to find out if he was as great as Boba seemed to think he was. He offered a curt nod, and Dooku observed, just as curtly, "Then come … we should at least reassure our respective families that we've not killed each other." For now, at least. However, he followed Dooku out of the Council Chambers in search of their boys.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Quarters of the Kenobi Family  
Jedi Temple

"You do realize I can hear you thinking all the way over here?" his wife inquired, untangling yet another braid. He made a slight movement and she glowered at him, saying, "Don't even think about moving … I know you hurt your back when you picked up that little boy." He relaxed back against the pillows, grinning impishly at Asajj, who rolled her eyes and muttered, "An idiot. I married an idiot." That made Obi-Wan laugh and he rolled onto his back, closing his eyes as he allowed the memories to wash over him.

It wasn't just Boba he remembered now, and those last days before the memory machine became his world … no, he remembered much more. He remembered it all, and with those memories came something else: power. He knew who he was now, and he knew who he could have become … in essence, he was two people in one. The Sith Lady meant to destroy him by having him put in that machine, but instead … wait. Wait. Opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling, he asked his wife, "Asajj? What would you say is a common weakness or failing in women?"

"Aside from falling in love with idiots? Women aren't a monolith, you know," his wife answered. Obi-Wan virtuously held back an eye-roll and kept his mouth shut. Asajj had ways of making him pay when she was annoyed with him. And the way he asked the question probably wasn't the most diplomatic, but he put that part of him away when he was home. After a moment, she pushed herself away from her dressing table, her long blonde hair falling in waves over her shoulders. She climbed onto the bed and straddled him, pinning his wrists against the headboard, murmuring, "Then again, I can't blame you for asking, now that we know the Sith is a woman. All right … keeping in mind that none of these flaws are limited to women: we do tend to be vain. Not all of us, not even sure if it's most of us, but we do have that tendency. Something else … we don't like being taken for granted or assumptions being made about us. If we think someone takes us for granted or doesn't appreciate us, things can get ugly."

Obi-Wan sifted through the information provided … which led him on a sideways journey to a possibility. As his wife lowered her head to his chest, Obi-Wan asked slowly, "What if someone else received the credit … or blame … for what they'd done?" He closed his eyes as Asajj began working her own particular form of magic, her lips and hair caressing his skin. Oh … oh, Force, how could he have ever forgotten this? How could he forgive himself for forgetting this, for buying into Sidious' lies for even a moment?

He yelped as his wife poked him in the ribs, growling, "Stop that, right now! I won't tolerate you blaming yourself for something you had no control over! That's one thing that you share with your counterpart … you both blame yourselves for something you can't help." He offered his most contrite look, and Asajj continued, looking thoughtfully, "But … well … some women would have a problem with that, especially if they have something to prove, or think they have something to prove. Then again, once more, the same is true of men."

"True … but for a woman with that characteristic, do you believe it's even stronger?" Obi-Wan asked curiously. Asajj's hands (and lips) had stilled and she turned that over in her mind. After a minute, she shook her head, and Obi-Wan prepared himself to think of another possibility. But Asajj wasn't finished. She sat back against his hips (not exactly conducive to thinking clearly, at least not for him), but his wife was focused on whatever was going through her head. While they did have a latent bond, Asajj tended to keep her shields up high … as much to protect those around her as herself.

At last, she replied thoughtfully, "Not necessarily … but we're talking a Sith Lady here. The Sith are subtle. They spent a thousand years, pretending to be extinct." True … and he knew she had a point here somewhere. Asajj proved him entirely correct when she went on, "I'm not sure how the Chancellor would feel about being bait, but what we could do is lure Lady Darkside into a trap by announcing that the Sith behind the war was revealed and it was the Chancellor. Of course, we would need … Obi, what's wrong?"

"The clones … in the other reality, the clones had chips in their heads. There was a specific order, Order 66. The Chancellor issued the Order after Anakin Fell … and all the Jedi died. I still don't know … but that doesn't make any sense, my men were better shots than that," Obi-Wan answered, forcing himself to remember the horror of being fired upon by his own men, of the plunge into the icy water, and his attempts to stay one step ahead of the men he fought alongside for all those years.

Asajj inhaled sharply and put her hand on his cheek, drawing his attention back to her and back to the present. She said quietly but firmly, "That won't happen. We won't let it happen. I know what you're thinking … if it's a member of the Chancellor's staff, her authority might be recognized by the clones. I suppose she could also threaten Palpatine's life, try to get that Order issued. Either way, we won't let it happen. And you need to stop focusing on this. I finally have my husband back, and I am absolutely determined to seduce him before the night is over!"

"You've already made an excellent start, my darling, but by all means, do continue," Obi-Wan all but purred, smirking at the fire lit in his wife's eyes. Oh yes, that fire in her eyes always meant that his life was about to get very interesting in the very best of ways. In fact … he smirked up at her, and twisted his body, flipping them both over. Asajj squeaked, then burst out laughing … that quickly turned to other sounds when his bearded cheek brushed the side of her neck (just to begin with).

They still had a Sith Lady to locate and take out. That was one thing they needed to deal with, and only one thing. There was the continuing rift between Anakin and Padme (and while she was clearly happy with Xanatos, she and Anakin had been friends once). While the memories of that other reality were false, certain things were still true … including the corruption of the Senate and the struggles of the Jedi Order to wean itself away from being an arm of that body. That was another issue. But there was nothing Obi-Wan could do about any of that right now … and his wife had been so very patient with him during the last few weeks. It was long past time for him to reward that patience, that compassion.

Tomorrow, they would go into battle of one kind or another. Tomorrow, they would again face the darkness. But for now, they would take what they could of the light. Obi-Wan heard an echo from that other reality: love is more than a candle. Love can ignite the stars. It was time to start igniting those stars … for Luke and Leia, for Boba, for the younglings and the crechelings, for the entire galaxy.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

He sat alone in the dark, sipping at a glass of Corellian whiskey he'd bought years earlier, while his wife was expecting Jasleen. It was a rare impulse buy for him … he'd always left that to his wife. But he'd just learned that in a matter of months, he would have a little girl to spoil and teach and love, and he'd been in a mood to celebrate. It was always his intention to drink that Corellian whiskey in another celebration … perhaps his little girl's graduation, or betrothal, or the announcement that he would be a grandfather. None of those would ever come to pass.

And yet, the cloud that hovered over Sheev Palpatine for the last several years was vanishing. He still didn't forgive the people who let Jasleen die, not entirely … but now he felt like in time, he could, because they hadn't ignored his injured daughter by choice, but because she was blocked from their view. They hadn't let her die out of indifference. And given his partnership with the Jedi (because that was exactly what it was), he now knew that his little girl's murder would be avenged. That was cause for celebration. It wouldn't return his Jasleen to him, but this was the next best thing.

He took another sip of his whiskey, smiling to himself as he watched old holovids of his princess. She was eleven standard years old here, her copper hair braided down her back as she 'flew' around their yard. Sweet Force, she was so beautiful! His precious Jasleen, his beloved jewel. Oh, she'd hated it when he called her that! But he'd persisted, telling her that her skin was pearl-white, her eyes were sapphire blue, and her hair was ruby red. Jasleen merely rolled her eyes and pointed out that her teeth were supposed to be pearl-white.

Before he left the office this afternoon, Knight Kenobi requested that Palpatine join him at the Jedi Temple the following day. He did find it amusing, they seemed to be playing an odd variation of 'tag,' something that would have amused Jasleen to no end. And yes, he knew he vacillated between referring the young Jedi as 'Knight' and 'Master,' but really, he was just moving ahead of the Order itself. Since his padawan was on the verge of being knighted, he would soon be a Master himself.

Anakin Skywalker, the youngster who helped to save Naboo … yes, Sheev was still intrigued by the boy. He shone like a small sun in the Force, but more than that, he'd never given up on his Master. The Chancellor remembered a conversation he had with the young man about six weeks before he found his Master, one of the few conversations he'd been permitted to have with his world's savior (because his young Master had very little use for politicians or the prophecies of the Chosen One, unlike his late brother-padawan).

The boy made it excruciatingly clear that he would never give up on his Master, regardless of what anyone had said. He … now how did he put that? 'I'd sooner stick my head in the mouth of a krayt dragon than give up on Master Obi-Wan. He's never given up on me, I won't give up on him.' Palpatine looked up 'krayt dragon,' just to see what kind of animal it was … he immediately wished he hadn't. Especially since he sensed the boy wasn't exaggerating in the least. Maybe he was, but Palpatine just didn't think so.

Maybe he would ask the boy tomorrow. He needed to have a long conversation, not just with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but with many Jedi. The Chancellor sensed there was something they weren't telling him, something incredibly important. And that was more than fair. He'd shielded himself from other Force-sensitives for much of his life. But there was a far more important secret that he would tell them tomorrow, something that would change everything.

He knew who the Sith was … and he would need the assistance of the Jedi to take her out.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, who saw that coming? He may not be a Sith here, but he's still Palpatine.


	14. Touchstone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mace demonstratrd his silly side; Palpatine's arrives at the Temple; and the Darth Sidious' true identity is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first started wading into the Star Wars fandom, I came across a story in which Mace was making s'mores with (or for) the younglings in the afterlife … that image of him has never truly gone away, but hopefully, this version of Mace Windu is one that you can imagine doing just that.

"So, this is the majestic Jedi Temple … I must say, I am impressed," Sheev Palpatine wheezed and puffed as he walked alongside Master of the Order Mace Windu. The latter merely smiled, mentally reminding himself once again to shorten his strides. While the Chancellor had been here in the past, he'd been … contained to particular areas. They were particularly careful to keep him away from the younglings. Not just Anakin, but all younglings. Having the attention of the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic could be a heady thing, even to ordinary children … and Jedi younglings were anything but ordinary.

"It is that … impressive and majestic," Mace acknowledged as he led the Chancellor to Master Yoda's chambers. He was quietly proud of the Temple, of his home, and while he wouldn't exactly brag about it, he had no trouble showing it off. But that wasn't the reason for today's visit, of course. Once the Chancellor told Obi-Wan that he knew who the Sith was, it was quickly decided that the best place for him to relay that information was the Jedi Temple. The Grandmaster bade them to enter … inside, they found everyone who would be needed: the remainder of Yoda's line (including the twins); the Fetts; and Xanatos, all seated in a circle and all in the lotus position. This … could get interesting. Truthfully, Mace still wasn't sure if he trusted Xanatos, but he couldn't deny that the younger man was more Light-side than Dark. Nor could he deny that they'd made a terrible mistake with the padawan Xanatos. Yes, things improved … no, they weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

"Welcome, you are, Chancellor. Know everyone, you do?" Yoda asked as the two newcomers sat in the free spaces of the circle. Mace accepted Leia from her mother, playing peek-a-boo with the delighted toddler while the Chancellor got situated. He noticed Asajj's amused expression, and did the most un-Councilor thing imaginable: he stuck her tongue out at her. Which probably wasn't the smartest thing he could have done, because Leia immediately grabbed it. Boba Fett immediately started giggling, especially after Mace's attempts to speak around his tongue. Much to his consternation, he sounded more like Jar-Jar Binks than like himself.

"Leia, I know Mace is being silly, but please let go of his tongue," Obi-Wan said, sounding both exasperated and amused. Knowing him, the exasperation was directed at Mace and the amusement at Leia, the little brat (all right, not so little now). Leia merely giggled, but did as her father asked, and Obi-Wan added with a smirk, "And now that Jar-Jar Binks has been replaced with our illustrious Master of the Order, shall we continue?" Mace glowered at the younger Master, but didn't stick his tongue out again. That was just asking for trouble.

"This is definitely not what I imagined of the Jedi Council, much less the Grandmaster and Master of the Order … but maybe more people should see this side of you. It would go far in demystifying the Jedi Order as a whole," the Chancellor observed, a wry twist to his lips. It wasn't the first time someone said such a thing, and Mace was fairly certain it wouldn't be the last. Just as the Chancellor's next comment wasn't exactly a new idea, as he added, "Then again, perhaps you like that aura of mystery."

"Useful, that can be. Our main goal, it is not," was Yoda's response. Which was true enough. The Grandmaster went on, "Agreed to your request, we have. Time, it is." The Chancellor, uncharacteristically, looked down at his hands as if trying to figure out where the best place to start was, and Yoda added, "Know, we do … a woman, Sidious is." Palpatine offered a weary, resigned smile in response, and the shatterpoints surrounding his 'nephew' and Obi-Wan's padawan tightened up yet again. Boba Fett again muttered under his breath about 'a right old hag,' and his father hushed him.

"That she is. Tell me something, Master Yoda. Aside from the custodian … who is the most innocuous, and yet, knows the most about a given organization?" Palpatine inquired. It wasn't an idle question … or maybe it was. The Jedi looked at each other uneasily, while Anakin's expression was intently focused. Palpatine added a bit dryly, "I may be asking the wrong set of people … the Jedi Order doesn't exactly function in the same way as other organizations."

"Nor do bounty hunters … but we do come into contact with more than the flotsam and jetsam of the galaxy. Secretaries, Master Chancellor … you're talking about secretaries, the people who have to know everything about everything that is going on if the company or organization is to be successful. And if they're really good, they even know where the bodies are buried, metaphorically speaking, of course," Jango Fett commented. Mace glanced at Obi-Wan, who froze in his seat. Jango looked at the younger Master, adding, "You've figured it out as well, haven't you, Knight Kenobi? Not sure how you did, but you know who he's talking about, specifically. Not just in general, but in specific." Obi-Wan nodded, looking troubled.

However, as ever, he wasn't interested in being cruel and said a bit hoarsely, "I do. You mean your executive assistant, Kimi … don't you, Chancellor?" Palpatine nodded slowly. Kimi? Mace tried to think who Obi-Wan meant. He'd visited the Chancellor's office on more than one occasion over the years, and while he'd encountered the other man's executive assistant, he couldn't summon up an image of the woman in question. There was an impression of long dark hair, but not much more than that. And yet, if asked to provide a description of the night-shift custodian, Mace could do that.

There was a long, stunned silence as the rest of the Jedi (plus the Fetts) processed what was just said … and then all hell broke loose.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It took some time to restore order (truly, he'd known that the revelation would shock his Jedi brethren, regardless of what the exact revelation was). In truth, Yan Dooku was shaken … but when he thought about it, it made sense. In Obi-Wan's visions, the Sith was the Chancellor, hiding in plain sight, for who would suspect the Chancellor of being a Sith? But this … a Sith Lady hiding in plain sight as a humble (or not so humble, as the case may be) executive assistant? Once order was restored, his most recent padawan observed quietly, "My initial reaction was to deny it … but the more I think about it, it's too ridiculous not to be true. There's something else we need to consider."

"What do you mean, Asajj?" Anakin inquired, looking as shaken as Yan felt. The elder Jedi looked from his grandpadawan to his padawan and son. Obi-Wan looked … resigned. Yan wasn't the only one who noticed, as Anakin added, "Master … what's wrong? I mean, aside from the obvious." A small smile graced Obi-Wan's features, and Anakin went on, "No, I mean it … you look the way you did after you met Cody the first time, when he told you that he was created to die for you."

That … was something Yan never heard before, but it did sound familiar. It was also something that would have such an effect on his son. He resolved to get the entire story out of his grandpadawan at their first opportunity. He knew better than to ask Obi-Wan. His boy would just laugh it off and then change the subject.

For now, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, answering, "There are several things. First and foremost, the Chancellor has figured it out … but how? I know you're Force-sensitive, Chancellor, but I don't think that's strictly how you worked it out. Secondly, Sidious in my dreams was someone who could out-do Xanatos in terms of contingency plans … which means we need to be even more careful of Kimi. The overlooked is often the most dangerous. Finally, Anakin, you brought up my final fear, without meaning to: Order 66."

"What in the Sith hells is Order 66?" Xanatos asked. Yan, however, was watching Jango Fett … and saw all the color drain from the bounty hunter's face at the reference. Xan went on, "I'd kinda like the answer to how the Chancellor worked out that his executive assistant is the Sith Lady … I don't remember her especially well, but my impression was of a young-ish woman with long dark hair. Definitely not an old hag. And someone who outdoes me in terms of contingency plans? Not possible, Obi-Wan, you're exaggerating. You must be."

That faint smile returned and Obi-Wan observed dryly, "Considering the Sith Palpatine in the other reality cloned himself so he could cheat death, and tried to possess Anakin's infant grandson, we'll have to agree to disagree, Xan." Yan's former grandpadawan looked like he nearly swallowed his tongue, and Obi-Wan continued, moving the conversation forward, "I can't answer for the Chancellor, but I can tell you that Order 66 is how the Jedi were wiped out in the alternate reality. In the brains of the clones, an 'inhibitor' chip was placed. Supposedly, it was to suppress natural aggression … but in reality, when particular commands were given, it turned the clones into nothing more than flesh-covered droids. Order 66 … when that order was issued, the clones turned on the Jedi they'd been fighting alongside, killed them as traitors to the Republic."

"Oh, sweet Force … I wondered what I was seeing!" Mace breathed, sounding as sick with horror as Yan felt. For his own part, the second oldest Jedi in the room wondered how Obi-Wan managed to speak of Order 66 with a voice that trembled only a little. He thought of the friendship which was beginning to grow between Obi-Wan and his Commander, and then he thought about seeing a world where Cody tried to kill Obi-Wan … and he swore that he would strangle this woman with her own hair before he allowed such a thing to happen. (Fine … he really wouldn't, but he also wouldn't deny that he was sorely tempted to do just that).

"Quite. Chancellor, when we confront Kimi, she may try to manipulate you into issuing Order 66, assuming she hadn't worked out a way to trigger it herself. Is there anything she can use against you?" Obi-Wan asked. Yan began to smile … that little fool had no idea what she was about to unleash against herself. His son was trying to use the horrific images he'd seen to their advantage. And judging from the feral grin appearing on the Chancellor's face, he was realizing the exact same thing Yan was.

"The only thing she could have used against me is Jasleen. And she took that weapon out of her arsenal herself. As to how I realized it was her … there is no one thing. First, she was the only person near Jasleen when she died. Oh, I realize that doesn't implicate her … but she mentioned a Sith Lord to me once, not long after Jasleen died. I … honestly, I was in shock at the time … in shock and sick with rage that the very people who walked past Jasleen as she died had the unmitigated gall to approach me at her funeral and tell me how sorry they were for my loss and that really, Naboo had lost as well," Palpatine answered, his voice edged with an old bitterness.

"Power of suggestion, she was using," Yoda observed. Yan looked at his former Master, whose green eyes were glittering dangerously. The Grandmaster of the Order went on, "Similar to a Mind Trick, it is. Weak-minded, you are not. But vulnerable, you were." Palpatine dipped his head, and Yan's former Master continued, "Cautious, you must be … use your daughter against you, she still can." Also true … while Jasleen Palpatine was dead, this Kimi individual could still use her. He'd seen it happen before.

"Let … her … try," Palpatine all but bit out, his eyes burning with hatred, and he burned in the Force as well. That same Force whispered to Yan, warning him that Sheev Palpatine would take out this Kimi, or die trying and consider it a good death. If it was just him and Kimi, that was one thing … but Yan took the Force's warning to mean that he should see to it that no one else was hurt during Palpatine's drive for vengeance. The Chancellor swallowed hard and went on, "You asked what else forced me to realize that she was the Sith. She … she told me about Darth Plagueis the Wise. According to Kimi, he was known …"

"Because he could prevent people from dying," Obi-Wan finished, his voice barely above a whisper. But Yan heard his son. All of them heard him. Very slowly, Palpatine turned to face Yan's child, his eyes widening. Obi-Wan offered that faint smile he'd given to Anakin a few minutes earlier, the one that said it wasn't important how he knew that. But, just as before, no one was willing to accept that. Not Anakin. Not Yan. Not Master Yoda. And most assuredly not Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, whose eyes narrowed.

"You know the story … yet I doubt very much that it is common knowledge among the Jedi," the Chancellor observed, his voice hard. Obi-Wan merely stood his ground (even though he was sitting), his eyes locked with the Chancellor's. Mace murmured, 'it is not. But maybe it should be.' Palpatine went on, "There is much you have not told me, young Jedi … and I think it's time I heard this story of yours. Things happened to you while you were being held captive, and mention was made of incorrect memories. But there was more to it than that."

Obi-Wan looked first at Yan, and then at Yoda, as if asking what they thought. But in the end, it was Boba Fett who forged ahead, telling Palpatine, "They strapped him into a machine every time he told them something they didn't want to hear, the people who held him captive. I would watch from the ventilation shafts … and when they took him out of the machine, once they were gone, I would climb down. I was his touchstone, he said. If I held his hand or touched him, he could anchor himself and push the false memories back."

This was news to both Yan and the boy's father, although they were both getting used to that. Yan could tell from the uneasy glance Jango Fett sent his way that he really didn't like getting used to it. Mace glanced at all of them, before saying, "It's steadily growing more apparent that Obi-Wan was, for lack of a better phrase, programmed with new memories … memories kept on a continuous loop. Whether it was to punish him for failing to do what his captors wanted, or an attempt to brainwash him, we're not entirely sure. Obi-Wan … I can tell them, if you like?" Obi-Wan started to speak, and Mace added, "You've told it once. You don't need to tell it again. You aren't alone, little brother." Yan blinked, because he hadn't heard Mace call Obi-Wan that in years, not since the last weeks before Obi-Wan's knighting. His son's shoulders slumped, and he nodded in agreement.

Taking a deep breath (and placing his free hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder), Mace began to relay that other reality to Palpatine, who listened with mounting shock and horror. But it was when Mace spoke of the Empire that the Chancellor finally rolled to his feet and backed away from the ground, gasping out, "Enough, I beg of you! No more! Stars' end, child … how are you still sane?" Obi-Wan again smiled, but Yan shuddered, for that smile never quite reached his eyes.

"He's sane because he has to be, because if he doesn't keep it together, the galaxy will fall into darkness for real this time. So we have to figure out, Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans … what are we going to do? How are we planning to stop this woman before she turns my children into flesh-droids and the entire galaxy into her slaves?" Jango Fett asked coldly. The room fell silent, not just at his question, but at the description of the clones as his children (even though they really were).

"We figure out a way to use her nastiness against her. I mean, it sounds like what Obi-Wan saw could have broken somebody else, like it should have broken him. But it didn't, it didn't break him. He's hurting, but he's not broken. Why can't we use that against her?" Boba asked, looking around the room. He was only ten years old, but he grew up in a rather unorthodox way (then again, the same could be said for the Jedi). Asajj gasped and all eyes turned toward her. She held Luke in her lap, a dazzling smile appearing as something occurred to her. As if sensing his mother's mood, the previously quiet child began to giggle and clap his hands with delight.

"Jango Fett, you have sired and raised a genius. That is exactly what we do! She wanted to break Obi-Wan, wanted to make sure that even if he survived and got rescued, that he wouldn't be able to stand in her way. She wanted to break him, she wanted to break the Chancellor … wanted to make them both into her tools. So here's what we do … we turn that against her. She won't be expecting it … why would she? She's the Sith Lady, the most intelligent person in the galaxy, at least according to her. And we use that arrogance against her as well. She's set a trap for us with Obi-Wan and Palpatine. I say we spring that trap," she vowed.

"Just make sure that you stand well away when the trap is sprung," Mace cautioned. Asajj merely grinned at him impishly, leading Mace to mutter, 'oh Force help us, one is bad enough, but two?' Yan merely smirked, because, well, welcome to his world. He glanced at his son, who was staring at Palpatine in clear astonishment. No … not astonishment. It was wonderment. Because this Sheev Palpatine wasn't the same as the one in the other reality? Perhaps. Or maybe he didn't expect any real compassion out of a politician. Didn't really matter … this reality had its own Sith Lady to deal with, and deal with her they would.

Or die trying.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the secretary is the Sith Lady. And just for the record, I'm an administrative professional myself, as was my mother before she retired, but the running joke when I was in college was that if you wanted to know the way things really worked in a department, you didn't ask the dean or the faculty, ask the secretary. Since then, I've found out just how true that is. And when you think about it, it makes sense … the individual faculty members focus on their specialty or students. The secretary deals with it all. Next chapter will be the confrontation with Sidious.


	15. Order Sixty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine sets a trap for his treacherous assistant; the Fett father and son team make a decision; while the truth about Order Sixty-Six is revealed

He thought for some time about how to lure Kimi into their trap. The young knight Kenobi's warning about not underestimating her didn't go unheard … but he'd waited so very long to confront the bitch whose tricks led to his daughter's death. He was willing to wait only until the end of the ten-day while the Jedi put their own plans in place (choosing which Masters would take part in the confrontation, finding the ways into his office without going past the front desk). After that? After that, Kimi would rue the day she ever met him, and Sheev Palpatine was fully prepared to die to ensure that happened.

As luck would have it, the Jedi were ready well before his self-imposed deadline. Out of respect for the young man who opened his eyes, Sheev told the Jedi his plan. They may not have liked it, but respected that he knew Kimi better than they did. Rephrase … he knew her longer. Plus, he was still her employer. Not for the first time, he wondered if her supposed incompetence was nothing more than a cover, a shield, to keep people from figuring out what she truly was. Hiding in plain sight.

He thought, too, of his counterpart in the dreamworld Kimi. Did that Sheev Palpatine have a daughter, or anyone who mattered to him? Or … or did he simply thirst for power, even after being elected to the Chancellery? What had Kenobi said about the confrontation in his office, between that other Palpatine and the Jedi Masters sent to arrest him? 'Unlimited power.' Was that what drove Kimi? Was it a desire for revenge? Did it really matter?

To Sheev Palpatine, it did … he wanted to know why his daughter was dead. Why someone hated her so much, that individual not only killed her, but ensured that no one would stop to help her. How was it possible to hate someone that much? Sheev loathed the people of his home planet, for a variety of reasons … but he didn't hate any one individual so much that he would cause them to be injured, and then perform a mind trick that prevented passersby from seeing them (not even the beyond-annoying Jar Jar Binks). He needed answers, needed to know why his beautiful girl was gone … but he was also aware that he might not receive those answers.

His eyes flickered around the room, locating each Jedi in his office. And while he wasn't supposed to know about it (he was fairly certain the Jedi didn't know), Jango Fett was atop the building with his young son. Probably not the best place for a child, but Boba wasn't exactly typical. And he was the lynchpin for all of this … Kenobi was tortured with images of that other reality as punishment for protecting the boy; Boba in turn acted as a touchstone for the Knight until the very last time he was placed in that monstrosity; and he was the one who made them aware that the Sith was a woman. Besides, it wasn't Sheev's call to make, it was Jango Fett's.

From the corner, a pair of blue eyes blinked at him and Palpatine took a deep breath. He closed his eyes … breathed out, 'for you, Jasleen.' He opened his eyes and called in his most querulous voice, "KIMI! Blast it all, girl, I need your help in here!" A glance to his right told him that Obi-Wan Kenobi was smirking at him. Annoying brat. Despite the derogatory comment about the young Knight, Sheev felt his lips turning up into an answering smile, albeit a brief one … it died as Kimi clattered into his office, all breathless and tottering on high heels way beyond impractical for the job she did.

"What's wrong, Chancellor?" she cooed breathlessly. He barely managed to keep from rolling his eyes, not just at the sickeningly sweet tone of voice, but at the way she was almost literally falling out of her blouse. Really … she had to be faking her incompetence, absolutely had to be. Who would ever expect someone like this to be a dangerous Sith Lady? Then again, he was told that her Sith name was Sidious … and what could possibly be more insidious than an incompetent assistant?

As the door closed, the Jedi emerged from their hiding places until they stood in a circle around her: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yan Dooku, Asajj Ventress-Kenobi, Yoda, and Mace Windu. Surrounding them were five more Masters. Palpatine was unnerved when Kimi smiled. He had a very bad feeling. She didn't protest her innocence or question what was happening or behave as if something was wrong. In fact, she actually laughed and said, "So few Jedi? I'm insulted; I rate at least the entire Council. Then again, that didn't work out so well for the Jedi in your dreams, did it, Master Kenobi? I must say, that was inspired of me … there is no prison like an individual's own mind, though you shouldn't have been able to shake it off so quickly."

There wasn't even a hint of fear in her expression, or her Force signature. There was quite a lot of contempt and even more amused disbelief, but no fear. On the other hand, there was also no fear in the Jedi. Nor anger. Well, except for Anakin Skywalker, who retorted angrily, "You'll find that Master Obi-Wan is full of surprises! He's stronger than you think, and smarter than you imagine!" Kimi merely lifted an eyebrow and smirked, completely assured in her victory. He could only hope that complete confidence would prove to be her undoing.

Knight Kenobi said one word, resting his hand on his padawan's shoulder, "Anakin." The boy trembled and Sheev felt him release his anger into the Force. Returning his attention to Kimi, the young Master addressed her quietly, "That galaxy is far different than this one, in all the ways that matter. I have no illusions about you … I know you won't come quietly. I know this will end in violence and bloodshed. As you said … I've seen it. But it doesn't have to end that way." Kimi merely smirked and withdrew her lightsaber from the bodice of her dress (yes, the same one she was almost falling out of … Sheev was quite certain that he didn't want to know how she managed to hide a lightsaber there. He raised Jasleen more or less on his own, and learned far more than he wanted to know about the feminine mysteries, but that was a bit much).

"Yes … yes, it does. I will enjoy ending you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I just haven't decided if I want to kill you first … I have wanted you dead for so long, for thwarting my plans. Once I realized you wouldn't be turned, no matter how much work I put into it … you are so full of disgusting Light. And at every turn … at every turn, someone chose to protect you. So, the question now is … do I kill you first … or kill everyone you love first, and make you watch?" Kimi taunted. Even as she spoke, she unleashed her attack on the Jedi. And Sheev Palpatine could only watch the fight that followed, stunned and horrified, as he realized … he would never know why his daughter died. There would be no answers for him … but there was still a chance for vengeance.

And that? That was a chance he would take.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

"Even if I tell you to stay here, you'll find a way to follow me … won't you?"

It wasn't a question … his dad knew he wouldn't stay put. Boba didn't have the Force, even though his uncle did … but he didn't need the Force to know that he would be needed when they confronted Sidious. And Boba thought that was a really silly name, even for a Sith Lord. Then again, after hearing about the other world Sidious created, it seemed like Sith specialized in silly names. What was scary about 'Vader,' after all? (Obi-Wan pointed out, when Boba mentioned, that it could be an abbreviated version of 'invader,' something the boy hadn't considered. He still thought it was silly, though).

"Well, yeah. I was the first to hear what that evil old hag forced Obi-Wan to see. I heard how you died, and I heard about what happened to me after you died," Boba replied. He really had no problem with becoming the best bounty hunter in the galaxy … after all, that was what his father was. But he did have a problem with helping someone as evil and as terrible as Sidious, regardless of his/her known name. His father sighed and bowed his head. Boba hesitated, and then said earnestly, "I know you think you fail Mum and me, every time you can't protect me, but you don't, I promise." His father raised his head and smiled ruefully.

"This is probably a huge mistake … but at least if I do die, you won't be alone. That's my biggest regret about what happened to you in that other reality. Not that I died … but that I died and you were alone. You shouldn't have had to grow up like that. So promise me, Boba … even if I die, even if every Jedi in that room dies … promise me that you'll find your brothers. Let them take care of you. Will you promise me that?" his father asked, his eyes boring into Boba's. The boy hesitated only briefly, and then nodded. He didn't know his clone brothers very well … most of what he knew came from Obi-Wan's stories about his men.

Boba asked slowly, "You don't hate all Jedi any more, do you, Dad? I mean, Obi-Wan's good for a Jedi. Right?" His father's face softened and he reached out a hand to gently brush Boba's cheek, something he'd not done since Boba was a very little boy. In fact … in fact, the last time he'd done this was when Boba asked about his late mother. That was something else Boba had in common with Obi-Wan … they were both really little when their mums died. That was one of the first things he realized when Obi-Wan first started talking with him … that and how kind he was to a little boy he'd never met before.

"No, I don't hate all Jedi … maybe most, but not all. Kenobi's a decent one … Skywalker will be, once he stops being annoying … no, Boba, that wasn't funny. I know I can trust Kenobi to take care of you. He's a dad, too, after all," Dad answered. He took a deep breath, looked down the side of the building, and then looked back at Boba. The boy returned his father's gaze, and Dad asked softly, "Are you ready?" Boba nodded. Dad put on his helmet and knelt in front of Boba, allowing him to crawl onto his back, like he did when he was four or five and wanted to be carried to bed, 'but not like a baby. I not a baby, Daddy!'

And then they were airborne. Boba closed his head and rested his forehead against his father's helmet as Dad rocketed down to the Chancellor's office and blew out the windows with his blasters. Only seconds later, Dad announced their presence with, "I would ask if it was too late to join the party, but it looks like I'm just in time. Stars' end, Kenobi … can't you stay out of trouble even for a little while? Oh, wait, you're a Jedi … forget I asked."

"Congratulations, you just answered your own question. And you have very little room to talk," Obi-Wan snarked back. Boba opened his eyes and slid down from his father's back, gasping at the carnage. Two Jedi were down, and three others were injured … even as Boba watched, another Jedi fell and Obi-Wan stepped in to engage the Sith, his face reflecting determination. The Chancellor himself stood a short distance away. He caught sight of Boba … his eyes widened, and he mouthed, 'stay hidden!' There was probably also a 'what in the Force are you doing here, this is no place for a child' that went unsaid, but he could fill that part in for himself.

And the chancellor was right, at least about the staying hidden part. Boba was a brave kid … but this … this was someone who already took out three Jedi Masters, severely injuring others, and was even now engaged in a fierce lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan. Translation? Boba needed to stay as far away as possible. Besides, one thing he learned while the auburn-haired Jedi was being held captive … sometimes, it was the ace in the hole who could do the most damage. He hid behind the Chancellor and amid the curtains, peering around them to watch the fight. His father retorted as he advanced into the room, "I won't deny that, but you take it to all new heights." Boba rolled his eyes … this was not the time for bad dad jokes!

"Stay back, Fett, this is … urgh!" Obi-Wan began, only for his warning to be cut off with a scream. Boba's blood ran cold, because even while he was being tortured by those monsters, Obi-Wan never even cried out. But as lightning erupted from Sidious' fingertips, Obi-Wan screamed in agony. He was struggling to get his lightsaber up and in place to push back the lightning, even as his padawan was rushing forward to help him. And it was then that Boba's world shattered … it was then that his hatred for all Sith was born.

"You don't tell me what to do, Jedi … I came here to help, and that's what I plan to do!" Dad retorted. Those were the last words he would ever speak. As he moved forward to help Obi-Wan, Sidious turned her attention from Obi-Wan to Boba's dad. Obi-Wan collapsed … or would have, if his student hadn't caught him and lowered him far more gently to the ground. From his position behind the curtain, Boba watched in horror as the lightning arched toward his father, slamming him backward into the wall. With an almost dismissive gesture of her hand, a green lightsaber lying beside one of the dead Jedi turned itself on and hurtled toward his father, piercing the armor he wore … and his chest. He collapsed to the ground, only a few yards from where Boba was hiding. He turned his head … saw Boba frozen there … smiled … mouthed, 'I love you.' And then the light died from his eyes.

Boba … lost the next few minutes. That was the best way to put it … and he wasn't even sure how much time he lost, how much time he sat behind the curtain, staring at his father. The only thing he saw clearly was his father's dead body. Dad … his dad was gone. He was dead, and never coming back, just like his mum. In those first moments, there was no room for guilt or rage or even grief. Just shock … just that terrible sense that something was no longer there, something that always had been. That shock quickly gave way to rage, an overpowering rage that was far too strong for his small body. He understood, then, the hatred the other Boba felt for Mace Windu … but his hatred wasn't for the injured Jedi, kneeling beside another of his brothers. No, his hatred was for Sidious.

Boba got his father into this mess, however unwittingly. His father was gone now, but Boba was still here. He had started this, and now he would finish it. On his hands and knees, the young Mandalorian crawled toward his dead parent, behind the curtain, behind the Chancellor. He didn't feel the Chancellor's eyes on him … couldn't sense the conflict in the old man, nor the sudden, fierce resolve. He had no way of knowing that the Chancellor was thinking about how he, Sheev Palpatine, was a man who lost his child to the spite of Darth Sidious, while Boba was a child who lost his parent to the same being. No, he thought only about the blasters on his father's body and how he could use those blasters to end Darth Sidious.

But as he drew ever closer to his father's body, Kimi said mockingly, "You know, it's really quite amusing. You've been so worried about those meat clankers you call your troopers … the ones I manipulated Sifo-Dyas into ordering? You've been so worried about them, so worried about saving them and that idiot brat you've been raising, it never even occurred to you to worry about saving yourself. That's why you Jedi will always lose … it never crosses your minds to take care of yourself, to worry about yourself. Tsk tsk tsk, such a fatal mistake to be making, now of all times. But, not unexpected. Kenobi … execute Order Sixty-six."

On his knees, Boba watched in horror as Obi-Wan stiffened. The boy's mouth fell open as he realized what she'd done … and as he watched his friend fight for control of his own body. Anakin breathed, "Master?" He sounded like Boba felt, frightened and lost. Even from this distance, Boba could hear the harshness of Obi-Wan's breathing as he fought whatever compulsion that evil hag placed in his mind. Anakin was being pulled away by his injured Grandmaster, while the equally injured Kit Fisto was drawing Obi-Wan's wife back.

"You can do this, little brother … I have faith in you," Mace Windu said softly as Obi-Wan shifted toward him, away from Sidious … Kimi … whatever her name was. And that … that would leave his back open to attacks. Boba scowled and began crawling toward his father's lifeless body. A blaster probably wouldn't work against her, but he had to do something! That evil hag hurt Obi-Wan enough … she already took Boba's father away from him, she wouldn't take his friend too! He wouldn't let that happen!

But even as he was carefully drawing the blaster from his father's holster, he heard Obi-Wan say softly, "Forgive me, my friend." Boba looked up … and watched in horror as his very first Jedi friend turned his lightsaber away from the Master of the Order, driving it into his own abdomen. The entire office erupted into sound, and Boba lunged for the blaster, even as Obi-Wan collapsed into Master Windu's arms, even as Anakin Skywalker howled and pulled away from his grandmaster. Because even as the Jedi circled their fallen brother, there was one other player ready to make his move, aside from Boba.

"You've lost your pawn, Kimi … now prepare to face me," Sheev Palpatine growled. The lightsaber that ended the life of Boba's father rose up from the ground and flew into the Chancellor's hand. He shifted into what Boba thought of as the strike position, adding, "For the lives you've ended … for the people you've manipulated … for my daughter, you will pay." And she would pay … if not at the Chancellor's hands, then at Boba's!

TBC


	16. Just One Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bail and two of his colleagues become aware of something dangerous going on; Anakin finds himself near ground zero; and an unexpected hero chooses how he'll leave this existence.

The first indication that Senator Bail Organa, Viceroy of Alderaan, had that something was going on was a feminine shriek coming from the Chancellor's office, which sounded something like, 'NO! No, you Force-be-damned Jedi, you're ruining everything You always ruin everything!' Padme Amidala du Crion's head came up and her eyes met Bail's as they worked on verbiage for the Sentient Beings Act, legislation that would make clones legal citizens of the Republic. They both looked at Mon Mothma, who listened intently, and said what Bail was sure they all were thinking, "You know, that sounds like the Chancellor's executive assistant. Why can I never remember her name?" It was far more dignified than 'what's her name,' but still not something to take pride in … not being able to remember the name of the Chancellor's assistant.

"I was just thinking the same thing … and I can never remember her name, either. I shouldn't say this, I know … but I couldn't even tell you what she looks like. I just have a mental image of long black hair and fair skin, a fairly young woman … maybe ten years older than I am," Padme answered, setting her padd to one side. Bail felt the first stirrings of unease, as it was something he and Breha often discussed. While he couldn't have called everyone in the Senate building, or the Chancellor's staff, by their names, he could at least remember their face. And more to the point, why was this just now occurring to him?

Bail said slowly, "Nor can I … and that isn't natural, not for any of us." He looked first at Padme, and then at Mon, and then back at Padme, who was married to a former Jedi padawan. He went on, thinking of what Obi-Wan just went through during his captivity, "Padme, I think you should call your husband. This is something he may need to know." Padme stared up at him, obviously wondering if she should take Bail's suggestion. The Viceroy returned the gaze steadily. He understood that Padme was protective of her husband … but this went far beyond Xan's past with the Jedi.

He received unexpected support from Mon, who observed, "I know that the Chancellor has been meeting with the Jedi often over the last few days, especially once he was finally allowed access to Knight Kenobi. However, that was a woman's voice, unless the Chancellor has suddenly developed the ability to make his voice feminine-sounding. She was ranting at the Jedi … that much is obvious, and Jedi certainly do have a knack at putting roadblocks up in the appropriate places. Don't roll your eyes, Padme … I appreciate that you want to protect Xanatos, but I don't think you're doing him any favors in this regard. From what I can tell, he still regards Master Dooku and Knight Kenobi as his family."

From his wife's conversations with Xan, Bail was inclined to agree. Oh, he didn't word it like that, but that was certainly the case, to his way of thinking. Padme bowed her head … but whatever she was about to do, whatever she was about to say was pushed to the wayside by a second feminine voice … definitely yelling, not shrieking, coming from more or less the same place. Padme closed her eyes and murmured, "Oh, now that was definitely Asajj Ventress-Kenobi, sounding extremely angry. Not just put-out, but angry." Mon opened her mouth, no doubt to ask how Padme knew that, but the senator from Telos opened her eyes and sighed, "Trust me, Mon … once you've been on the receiving end of Asajj's temper, it's not something you ever forget. And that? That was definitely Asajj Ventress-Kenobi, using her lungs to their full effect, and probably against the Chancellor's assistant."

That didn't bode well, and Bail murmured, "I'm calling security, and then I think we should investigate." He had a Very Bad Feeling about the entire situation, and he learned the hard way not to ignore those bad feelings. He probably should have called CorSec at the outset, but wasn't thinking about it at the time … too confused by his inability to remember the assistant's face, much less her name. The two women rose to their feet, and that's when it hit Bail. He looked at Padme again and asked, "Xanatos is already here, isn't he? You only use your comm when you're in the same vicinity, because he doesn't trust them. Is he in the building?"

"Truly, I'm not sure, Bail. I just know that Xan asked me to take my comm with me. I'm not sure if he has Off-world partners nearby, or if he was planning to lobby some of the senators on behalf of his company," Padme answered as the trio left Bail's office. Bail didn't respond at first … he was too busy putting the pieces together. Item … they heard the Chancellor's assistant yelling at a Jedi for ruining 'everything.' Item … they also heard Asajj Ventress-Kenobi yelling. Item … Xanatos was on the planet and in the immediate vicinity, and he had as much use for the Senate and politicians as a whole as his young 'uncle.' Item … none of them could remember what the Chancellor's assistant looked like.

There were still missing pieces, but it was looking more and more like the Chancellor and his assistant (or even just the assistant herself) was involved with the capture and torture of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, even if the Chancellor wasn't the mysterious Darth Sidious who had the Jedi so concerned, it didn't bode well if he was involved in this. With that, he quickened his steps, just a little, and then a little more as more noise was coming from the Chancellor's office. From the opposite direction, he saw Xanatos approaching, and his wife's friend said grimly, "You don't want to go in there right now … there are two civilians too many in there as it is, you don't need to be adding to it … not until this is over." Bail looked at Xanatos appraisingly. There was a howl inside, and Bail made his decision.

"Fine. But you must tell us everything … if only so we can help with the clean up," he replied. Xanatos inclined his head and gestured for them to follow him a short distance away. Bail noticed the displeased glare Padme was directing at her husband. Ah … so Xanatos hadn't shared with his wife what he knew. And, judging from the former Jedi's response, it seemed likely that he knew his wife wasn't happy with him … and he didn't look in the least repentant. That was between them, though. He was more worried about what was going on in the Chancellor's office, because whatever was happening in there would change the galaxy forever.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

He wanted to say that he was shocked … and he was. He was shocked by what Order Sixty-six really was … he was shocked that Sidious went to the trouble she did … he was even shocked by her lack of interest in Anakin Skywalker. But one thing that didn't shock him … the steps Obi-Wan took to protect his remaining Jedi brethren. He was a self-sacrificing idiot … but even Mace Windu had to acknowledge the younger Jedi had a point. That didn't make it any easier to cradle the injured Knight and try to help him release the agony into the Force.

Yan knelt at his son's side, one hand over the entry wound and the other stroking Obi-Wan's hair back from his eyes. He said no words, but the grief and fury in his eyes was a terrible thing to behold. Even so, it was far better to look over at his former mentor than it was to watch the melee going on just past Yan as Asajj, Anakin, and Palpatine all took on Sidious. No matter how many times Asajj and Anakin were knocked out of the fight, they returned within seconds, distracting her away from Palpatine, who was drawing her steadily into the center of the room … away from the window. Why?

The curtain moved ever so slightly, and Mace saw a small, black-haired boy peeking around the edge … a small, black-haired boy gripping a blaster tightly in his hands. Boba Fett … who was clinging to his father's back when Jango Fett made his dramatic entrance, and then quickly hid before Darth Sidious could see him and use him against everyone gathered, and who now sought vengeance for his father's death, his face a mask of hatred and grief. They would need to look after that youngling. A light tapping drew Mace's attention away from the five-way battle going on, and he looked up to find Yoda and Kit Fisto joining them. Yoda's ears flattened against his head and he muttered, "Foolish child, you are. Necessary, this was not."

"Only way. Couldn't take … the chance," Obi-Wan rasped out, moaning as he curled around himself. Across from Mace, Yan blinked back tears as he continued to pour strength into his only child. Obi-Wan would need medical attention, and soon, but for now, Yan would buy his son as much time as he could. The young Knight moaned again, before forcing out, "This … made her angry. Make … mistakes." Mace shook his head, torn between a desire to berate the young man and an equally strong desire to laugh, because of course Obi-Wan Kenobi would put a lightsaber through his own body to aggravate a Sith, as well as to protect others. A stray thought crossed Mace's mind … that the Obi-Wan in his little brother's dreams would have done the exact same thing. But there was another part to this, something the boy's former Master pointed out only seconds later.

"And you would have never forgiven yourself, would have never been able to live with yourself, if you'd hurt any of us, even under a compulsion. My poor child … Master, I've never heard of such a thing," Yan murmured. That made two of them … although, they did have sleep compulsions. Mace found himself wondering if the two were tied, since you could use sleep compulsions against a trained Jedi. Their guard had to be down (or willing to accept it), but it was possible. He thought again about the time Obi-Wan spent at the mercy of the machine that showed him that other reality (then again, that was never truly far from his mind).

"Not common, it is. Disturbs me, this does," Yoda responded. He kept looking at the dizzying fight taking place, and Mace knew in a matter of seconds, the Grandmaster would be joining the battle once more. Anakin was once more kicked backward, knocking him out of the fight briefly, and Yoda added, "Take care of him, you must … time to end this, it is." But before the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order could do anything, that curtain moved again … and this time, Mace saw blaster fire. He saw it … Sidious felt it, if her shriek of pain was anything to go by.

"Oooh, that looks like it must have hurt … good! If it hurts even a third as much as you hurt my husband, I hope he does it again!" Asajj spat. Mace knew better than to remind Asajj to be mindful of her anger … besides, right now, she quite likely wouldn't hear him. Sidious bared her teeth at the blonde Jedi and extended her hand, but Asajj raised her lightsaber defensively, catching the Sith lightning and returning it back to its source. Boba, in the meantime, fired again, drawing another screech from the Sith and another threat against the child's life. Asajj's back was to Mace, but he could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "Sith lightning disrupts a Jedi's connection to the Force … and those blaster bolts are disrupting your concentration. Fair is fair, after all."

Mace just rolled his eyes, his eyes drifting to Obi-Wan as he wondered if he should turn the injured Knight over to his father, and join the fight. But then, as he so often did, Anakin Skywalker changed the rules. Contrary to popular belief, Mace didn't really mind when he did it … he just wanted the boy to give him a little more warning when he did so. Not that Anakin ever did, including this time. One moment, he was shaking off the force of the hit (him slamming into the wall after Sidious knocked him flying) … and in the next, he was somersaulting over the combatants, scooping Boba up into his arms, and then vaulting once more over his 'sister,' the Chancellor and Sidious … with Boba firing at Sidious all the way. Mace blinked, wondering how the boy was firing at exactly the right times … was it the Force or was Anakin helping him? And did it matter?

Right now, it did not. Again, Sidious attacked Asajj and the Chancellor with lightning, and … wait, where did the Chancellor go? Mace's breath caught in his throat as his question was answered in the last way he would have expected. The Chancellor came up behind Sidious … wrapped one arm around her neck … and rammed his lightsaber into her back, signing his own death warrant at the same time. But judging from the vicious, victorious grin, he didn't care. Sidious was screaming, and as the Sith lightning encompassed him, the Chancellor screamed as well. But he held on, and Mace remembered what Obi-Wan told them of Sidious' death in the other reality, when Anakin Skywalker overwhelmed Darth Vader to save his son.

"I will … never know … why you … killed my Jasleen. But taking … your life … is the next … best thing," the Chancellor gasped. As Kimi's eyes fell shut, Mace felt a surge in the Force. He ducked over Obi-Wan protectively, 'hearing' Yan warn Asajj and Anakin to take shelter. The blonde Jedi grabbed Anakin and Boba, pushing them to the floor. Only seconds later, a massive Force wave swept over the room, blasting out windows and leaving Mace barely conscious. But even through the haze of half-awareness, Mace noticed something very important: the opaqueness of the Force was gone. But he had no time to appreciate it, for he lost consciousness at that point, still ducked over Obi-Wan.

SWSWSWSWSW

That … wasn't something he expected. Anakin noticed Boba Fett hiding behind the curtain opposite his father's still-warm body, and while the Chancellor was leading his erstwhile assistant away from the windows, there were still plenty of things that could end up hurting the boy. And the Force was clear that Boba needed to be out of danger. Anakin did a Force leap, somersaulting over Asajj, the Chancellor and the evil hag (what? The kid was right) to reach the young Mandalorian. He scooped Boba into his arms, murmuring, "Watch our backs," and did another Force leap over the battling trio. Boba, not entirely surprising, did just that, firing a blaster that should have been way too large for his small hands. It worked, disrupting Sidious' focus, and allowing Anakin's sister to do what she needed to do.

It did one other thing … it gave the Chancellor the opportunity to slip around his former assistant as she continued to battle Asajj. Anakin saw him moving, far more quietly than he would have expected in those robes … saw him impale his daughter's murderer on his lightsaber, and most of all, he saw the electricity claim both Sith and chancellor. Even before his grandmaster sent a warning to them through the Force, Anakin was looking for a hiding place. He had no idea what would happen when the Sith Master (Mistress?) died, but it was best to be prepared. Besides, it kept him from focusing on the horror of seeing his Master use his own lightsaber on himself.

He couldn't think about that right now, even though his mind kept drifting to that horrifying sight. Even as he and Asajj found the meager shelter available, even as he and his sister covered Boba's much smaller form protectively, even as the shockwave pushed him to the limits of his consciousness, that image of Master Obi-Wan using his own lightsaber against himself was never far from his mind. He wanted to be angry with him, but he couldn't … under the exact same circumstances, he would have done the exact same thing. And then he lost consciousness.

He wasn't unconscious long … the first thing that pushed back the darkness was a voice, and then movement underneath him. Anakin clawed himself back to full consciousness, just as that child demanded, "Get off me, you big bantha! Ugh, get … off!" Boba, Anakin's mind supplied. They were shielding Boba when Sidious died. He tried to make his muscles move, but those were taking longer. He received unexpected help when a slightly larger hand pushed at his shoulder, forcing him on his back, and allowing Boba to scramble to his feet. The boy whispered, sounding stunned and just a bit scared, "Whoa … what happened in here?"

"Darth Sidious … her death unleashed a Force shockwave. We should check on the others. Boba, Anakin is still flopping around … can you check on the Chancellor? As close as he was to the epicenter, he may not have survived that. I'll check on the others," Asajj observed. Anakin heard Boba agree immediately, and then the child scampered over to find the Chancellor, while Asajj moved purposefully to the rest of their family. Not for the first time, Anakin cursed his high midiclorian count … there were times when it was damn inconvenient. Like now.

"Miss Asajj … there's something wrong with the Chancellor," Boba said as Asajj checked on all the members of their line (plus Kit Fisto). Anakin tried to sit up, hearing the way the boy's voice quavered … and recognized it. That was terrifyingly similar to the way he sounded too many times after Obi-Wan was hurt. And for the first time, Anakin realized just how young Boba was. It was easy to forget, given the boy's almost effortless bravado … but for all that, he was still a ten year old boy. And not just that, but a ten year old boy who just lost his father. That forced Anakin into motion, even if it was halting, even if it was more crawling on his hands and knees.

Behind him, he heard groans as his family awakened. Anakin dragged himself to Boba's side, awkwardly putting his arm around the boy's trembling frame as he carefully reached down to check the Chancellor's pulse. Oh, and the man's eyes were open … and now that he was closer, Anakin could see that blood was dribbling from the corner of his mouth. Oh, this didn't look good at all. Somewhat better than Sidious (who in death actually looked like the hag Boba described her as). The Chancellor's eyes focused on him and he asked weakly, "Is she … dead?"

"If you mean Sidious, yes, she is … very dead. Lie still, so you don't join her," Anakin retorted. There was a wheezing laugh, and the young Jedi realized that it was too late for the Chancellor. Whether it was the Sith Lightning or the shockwave from Sidious' death, it was hard to say. But Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was dying. Anakin swallowed hard, and hugged Boba. To his astonishment, the youngster clung to him, burying his face in Anakin's tunic. The Jedi went on, his voice growing ever softer, "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" He wasn't entirely sure what he could do … he wasn't especially gifted with healing, and while he had a great deal of raw talent and power, he was still fine-tuning his control.

"One thing … help me … to your … Master," Palpatine wheezed. Uhm, two things wrong with that. Number one, Anakin's own legs still couldn't hold just his own weight, much less his weight and the Chancellor's. And number two, in case Palpatine missed it, he was dying! The older man's hand clawed at Anakin's as he hissed, "I am dying … there is nothing … that can stop … that now. But … I can … choose how … I will die. I choose … to die … saving another. Like Jasleen … would have."

Oookay … he couldn't argue with that. The question remained, how would he get Palpatine to Master Obi-Wan. Boba? Yeah, right. However, the issue resolved itself with a shadow hovering over them. Anakin looked up to see a still-slightly wobbly Kit Fisto standing there … wobbly, but he was on his feet, which was more than Anakin could say for himself. The Nautolan Master said a bit hoarsely, "Let's see what we can do about getting you to Obi-Wan. Even buying him time would be welcomed."

He bent down and scooped up the dying man. Anakin looked at Boba, who whispered, "If you want to lean on me, you can." Anakin found a smile for the boy … and the strength to push himself to his feet. Resting his hand on the youngster's shoulder, Anakin took one halting step after another until he found himself at his master's side once more. Master Obi-Wan was still fighting, taking one pain-filled breath after another, but he kept breathing. Boba knelt beside him as well, resting a small hand on his boot, and muttered, "I am so mad at you, Obi-Wan!"

"Nor … is he … the only one. Lie still … you foolish boy. I have … only so much … time. Need to … do one thing … to make … my Jasleen proud," the Chancellor bit out. The words were few, but there was so much more there. Sheev Palpatine turned into a man whom his daughter wouldn't have recognized, wouldn't have wanted to claim as her father. And now that he was going to meet her, he wanted to reclaim the part of him that was Jasleen's father. Anakin thought of his other self, in the world that Obi-Wan dreamed of. And then he pushed that away, because there were similarities, but that was it. Similarities.

He heard the Chancellor whisper as his hands hovered over the self-inflicted wound, "My life … for yours. Oh my Jasleen … how I have … missed you." With those words, he … fell into himself. He just simply crumpled, head resting near Obi-Wan's hand. In wonderment, Anakin saw his master's fingers spasm. Was it accident or design that those same fingers lightly brushed the late Chancellor's forehead, as if in benediction? With Master Obi-Wan, you just couldn't take anything for granted.

The Chancellor said more than once in those days leading up to their confrontation with Sidious that he wasn't a good man. He enjoyed the power he wielded, and he was even still a bit proud of how he manipulated Padme into calling for a vote of no-confidence in the previous chancellor, Valorum. But his last act was to save another. It didn't make up for what he did in the past, but Anakin thought it was safe to say that Sheev Palpatine died a better man.

There were worse ways to die, and worse reasons. But for now, it was time to tend to the living, to make sure that they didn't join the ranks of the dead.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now comes the aftermath and clean-up. If you're curious, the chapter title comes from the Nickelback song, 'Far Away.'


	17. One Final Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We hear once more from the senators; Bail begins to assist the Jedi with their fallen brothers; Padme and Xan make a horrifying discovery; while Obi-Wan is updated by a very-put-out Boba (who, by the way, is convinced that Jedi are insane. As my sister-in-law likes to say, he might not be wrong). And one final secret is revealed.

Xanatos had only just begun his explanation when an explosion … there was no other word for it … shook the building. And it came from the Chancellor's office. Bail, Padme, and Mon were driven to their knees by the force of the explosion, but as Bail looked around, he realized that Xanatos completely collapsed. He wasn't the only one who noticed … Padme scrambled to her husband's side, still on her knees, and drew his head to rest in her lap. Mon asked, looking as shaken as Bail felt, "What was that?"

Padme stroked her husband's hair back from his forehead and whispered, "The Force … more to the point, it was the death of a powerful Force-user. Maybe several." Bail's blood ran cold at the implications, but Padme wasn't finished. She went on, "This happened before. Near the beginning of the war. Several Jedi, and their padawans, were killed. We were on the Queen of Naboo, bringing aid to the planet where it happened, when Xan collapsed." She looked up at Bail and Mon, dark eyes pleading with them as she went on, "That's why when the opportunity to talk to the Separatist leaders arose, I had to take it … I had to! To end this awful war, to save the lives of both Jedi and clones, I had to take the chance offered. But it was a trap, and Obi-Wan spent six months of his life as a captive!" The bitterness and shame in the young woman's voice was so thick, it all but choked the other two senators.

Bail was on the verge of speaking, of reassuring his younger colleague, but it was then that the door to the Chancellor's office flew open and a somewhat-unsteady Master Fisto called, "Whoever is on their feet, we need help!" Mon was on her feet immediately, bolting inside the office, and Master Fisto added gently, "He'll wake up soon, Senator. The only ones who are still unconscious are Knight Kenobi and Master Yoda." He added in an undertone as he made his way back into the office, "Of course, if Obi-Wan hadn't impaled himself on his own lightsaber, he might be awake now." Bail shook his head … he could not have just heard that. Then again, this was Obi-Wan Kenobi, a self-sacrificing idiot if ever there was one.

"You should help them," Padme said softly, drawing his attention back to her. She looked up, determinedly blinking back tears, and went on, "They need your help, and I just need to wait for Xan to wake up. We'll be fine, I promise." Bail wanted to stay for emotional support … but she was right. The people inside the Chancellor's office needed him far more, especially if Master Fisto was telling the truth (which he probably was). He squeezed her shoulder, and then headed into the Chancellor's office after the still-unsteady Nautolan.

What he found was … worse than anything he could have imagined. Asajj Ventress- Kenobi was quietly arranging the limbs of several dead Jedi, looking over her shoulder every few minutes. Bail followed her gaze, to find Master Yan Dooku holding his son and her husband … and the Chancellor dead next to Obi-Wan. Asajj said softly, "He was mortally injured when he killed Darth Sidious … and used the last of his strength to buy Obi-Wan time." She fell silent, before adding, "I was the first to recover. Would I like to be at my husband's side? Of course. But they have to prepare him for transport to the Temple, and someone needs to see to our fallen brothers. And Obi-Wan understands about heart versus duty." She nodded respectfully to Mon as the other woman carried Master Yoda from the office. Bail didn't know much about these things, but he respected Asajj's commitment to her fellow Jedi and her duty to them.

"What can I do to help?" he asked, but before she had the chance to answer, he noticed the body lying in the back. Bail murmured, "Jango Fett … is that why Xanatos was here?" Asajj shrugged helplessly … which meant he probably was. Bail immediately began looking around for Boba, because if there was one thing he learned about the Fetts, it was that you rarely saw one without the other being nearby. He found the ten year old with Anakin Skywalker, clinging to the older boy's leg, despite Anakin looking none-too-steady on his feet.

"Odd … I would have thought that Boba would still be at his father's side. He helped us to take down Sidious, but when Sidious was dead, he immediately started helping us, rather than returning to his father's side. When I asked him, he said that his father was marching away, and that Boba had to help those who remained," Asajj observed. Marching away … Bail heard that from some of the clones to describe the brothers they lost in combat when he visited the battlefields. It was an example he was using in the legislation, to prove the clones were sentient beings who deserved to be recognized as such, and as citizens of the Republic. He wouldn't use the conversations he had with the vod, as they called themselves … those were private, and Bail wasn't about to betray the trust placed in him. Asajj added after a moment, "You asked me a moment ago what you could do. If you haven't already alerted the Senate Guard, that would be helpful … or assisting one of the Jedi who is still recovering from the death of Sidious."

He could do both … first he placed the call to the Senate Guard (who were aware that something was happening, just not what). And as he moved to assist Mace Windu to his feet, he noticed for the first time the shriveled figure. The Master of the Order said wearily as Bail helped him up, "That's what's left of Darth Sidious … or as we knew her, Kimi Pelonite, the executive assistant to Chancellor Palpatine." The first thing that crossed Bail's mind was, 'so that's her name.' The second thing was, 'I remember her being a lot younger.' The final thing, 'wait, she was the Sith? Not Palpatine?' He looked at Master Windu, who said wearily, "We have a lot to tell you. But you should also know, Senator … once this war is over, the Jedi Order will begin distancing itself from the Senate."

Bail inclined his head, smiling to himself as Master Windu added, "And we'll be taking the clones with us, whoever wants to join us. They may not be Force-sensitive, but they've become our family, as we've become theirs." He received a sidelong look from the Master, who added, "And you can put that in the legislature you're drafting on behalf of the vod. That might sweeten the deal for some of your more recalcitrant opponents." Bail fought back a smile … people underestimated this man at their own peril. Some of his fellow senators were about to learn that the hard way. Bail looked forward to seeing the fallout.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Within minutes of the call placed by Senator Organa, the Chancellor's office was swarmed by Senate Guard personnel. Obi-Wan Kenobi was placed on a grav-sled, and a shuttle was waiting to return him and the living Jedi back to the Temple. A second shuttle was on stand-by to take their dead brothers once the first shuttle departed. In the meantime, there were two other bodies to process, including the late Chancellor. And there were decisions to be made, about exactly came next. But for Padme Amidala, all of that was secondary to her husband's health.

She wasn't a good wife to him in the beginning … young and headstrong, she was at that time (well, she still was, if she wanted to be honest with herself), and she'd heard mutterings about his departure from the Jedi Order. She still remembered those Jedi who sacrificed so much to save her planet. She wasn't unpleasant to Xan, in those early days, but she also wasn't as kind as she should have been. As a monarch and as a junior legislator, she should have remembered that every story has two sides. Xan's patience and sincere desire to do right by her, and by her people, won her over … but then, she overcompensated, and she hurt someone who had only ever helped her. Far from her finest hour.

"You're thinkin' too loud … wouldn't surprise me if you could wake the others with your thinkin' like that," Xan mumbled, his head resting on her shoulder. Padme turned her head ever so slightly to kiss his forehead. He'd awakened just as the security personnel loaded Obi-Wan onto the grav-sled, far too pale and much too still. Master Windu broke away just long enough to tell Xan that Darth Sidious … or as nearly everyone in the building knew her, Kimi Pelonite … was dead, as were Chancellor Sheev Palpatine and Jango Fett. Xan went very still in her arms before asking after his nephew. Master Windu stepped to one side, allowing Xan to see the small dark-haired boy at Obi-Wan's side. Xan relaxed against her and Master Windu swept away, following the grav-sled to the shuttle that would take the living Jedi back to the Temple.

They just finished taking the Jedi who fell against Lady Sidious to the shuttle that would bear them home, and while Xan was conscious, he was still recovering. According to her husband, Lady Sidious' death caused a shockwave in the Force, something she already knew and explained to Bail … but what troubled him was the possibility that her master was still out there. Padme observed that she was under the impression that there could only be two … the master and the apprentice. Xan acknowledged that yes, that was the Sith Rule of Two, but that didn't mean the rule was kept. She asked softly what would happen if Sidious was the apprentice, rather than the master. Her husband's silence spoke volumes.

"What about Boba?" she finally asked. Alazne died several years earlier, and Padme wasn't sure if their brother-in-law made arrangements in the event he died as well. Xan sighed quietly … he probably wasn't ready to even think about that, but they would have to. They were all Boba had left. Or so she thought. Xan shook his head, and Padme frowned at her husband's bent head. Surely he meant to bring Boba home with them? They were his family, after all.

"I'm going to leave that up to Boba. He's formed a bond with Obi-Wan … actually told me before we parted company this morning that he thought Obi-Wan needed someone else to look after him, someone with common sense. Boba's words, not mine. Would I want Boba with us? Of course … he's all I have left of my sister. But … he's not an ordinary child, Padme. He's a child of Mandalore, and all that entails," was Xan's rather surprising response. Padme stared at him in shock, and no little horror. But … Boba was only ten, a mere child. He couldn't make decisions like that! And Xan, as ever, read her expressions easily.

Her husband took her hand and said softly, "Again, dear heart … Boba is not like other children. He has seen things that most adults would shy away from. And again, he is a child of Mandalore. He is a warrior at heart, even though he's just a boy … and family has a greater meaning than simply your parents and siblings to the Mandalorians. If he chooses Obi-Wan, and I suspect he will, then I will honor his choice. Of course, we could force him to come with us, but there's no guarantee that he would stay. Besides … just look at Luke and Leia, if you have any doubts about his parenting abilities. And are you really ready to raise a child?"

Padme's shoulders slumped, because he was right on all counts. No … no, she wasn't ready to raise a child. She wanted to be a mother some day … but not now. And, Obi-Wan was a wonderful father. She saw that every time she saw the Knight with his twins, and even with other younglings. And yes … it was clear even to her that Boba had chosen the man who risked his life, his very sanity, to protect him. She asked softly, "Then what do we do? Just be ready for when he does need us?"

"Now you're understanding. Padme, whether he lives with us or not, he'll always be family, and we'll always be there when he needs us," Xan answered, picking up her hand to kiss her knuckles. Padme smile a little in spite of herself, and returned the favor by kissing the top of his head. At last, the Senate Guard officer who was supervising the transition of the Chancellor's body to the morgue (and Kimi Pelonite's body to the incinerator, where it belonged) approached. He bowed to them both, and Padme inclined her head.

"Senator … my Lord. Before Master Windu departed, he asked me to brief you on a few items since, at the time they left, you weren't completely … aware. The Jedi Order has requested that the Senate Guard leave Miss Pelonite's quarters sealed until they are able to send their investigators. Do you and your husband require assistance, Senator Amidala?" he asked. Before she had a chance to answer, Xan was reaching out his hand to the Bothan, who pulled him easily to his feet. Xan wobbled, and Padme scrambled upright to support him. As she wrapped her arms around him, she heard him muttering under his breath about his shields needing work. There was still a lot she didn't understand about the Force and the Order, but she resigned herself to that particular truth years earlier.

"Thank you … my shuttle is on the level below this one. If you wouldn't mind escorting me there, I know my wife still has a great deal of work to do. With the Chancellor's death, an enormous power vacuum now exists. Padme … I just had a thought. Do you remember the destruction of the shuttle that put all of this into motion at the beginning of the war?" Xan asked. Padme nodded, shuddering. Oh yes, she remembered that all too well. The Chancellor's rage had been terrifying to behold. Xan went on, "I'm wondering now if Pelonite was the guilty party all along … if she provided the faulty intel."

That … was entirely possible and even plausible. Xan returned his attention to the Bothan, asking, "Did Master Windu indicate whether I would be permitted to access Miss Pelonite's dwelling? I am no longer with the Jedi Order, but I believe I could be of some assistance." The officer inclined his head and Padme looked at her husband with a confused frown. What was Xan doing now? In the first place, he could barely stand and in the second place …

"Actually, there is something inside you should see. If you will come with me?" he requested. Padme and Xan exchanged a glance and then followed the officer inside the Chancellor's office. She shuddered, remembering again that this was where five people died. Yes, one of those five people was a Sith who orchestrated a devastating civil war, but her point remained. The Guardsman led them to a wall, saying, "It's behind here. I don't know how the Chancellor didn't know about this, but …"

He pressed something and the wall swung open, revealing … a secret room? Casting a grim look at them both, the Guardsman led them inside. Padme looked around, stunned as the room lit up on its own … looked at everything but what she should have been looking at. Her attention was drawn back to what lay in front of her when Xan choked out, "Oh Force. Oh, you poor girl … what did that Sith bitch do to you?" Padme could only stare in horror at what hung on the wall, hand covering her mouth. She thought all the horrors were revealed. She was wrong.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Jedi Temple  
Three Days Later

"I'm still mad at you."

Those were the first words Obi-Wan Kenobi heard as he regained consciousness. And while it was a familiar voice, he couldn't place it. He wasn't entirely sure what happened, until he shifted, ever so slightly, and a fiery pain blossomed in his midsection, stealing his breath once more. That brought back the memories very quickly. The confrontation in Palpatine's office … the issuing of Order Sixty-six … the understanding that rather than turning the clone soldiers into droids of flesh and blood, it would turn him into an unwilling Sith with the compulsion to kill the other Jedi … including his wife, including his padawan-cousin. And that couldn't be permitted.

Obi-Wan forced his eyes open and looked at his companion. He already knew where he was … an injury that life-threatening, there was only one place where he could be. But it was a bit of a shock to find Boba Fett sitting in the chair beside him, glowering at him. He offered the youngster a tired smile, only to have Boba scowl at him, repeating, "I'm mad at you! You scared me, you scared all of us, and my brothers are gonna have a thing or five to say to you when they get here!" Brothers? The last Obi-Wan knew, Boba was an only child. Boba added, rolling his eyes with obvious exasperation, "The clones. The vod in the 212th haven't left the Temple since they found out that you nearly died. You scared Cody … it's kinda funny. He didn't like Dad, but he took our name anyhow. He's not here right now, 'cause I promised I'd stay with you."

"I'm sorry I frightened you, Boba … but I couldn't allow my family to be hurt, any more than you could," Obi-Wan answered hoarsely and flinched at the scratchiness of his voice. Too late, he remembered that Boba's father died saving his life. He bowed his head, before asking, "How long has it been?" He remembered very little after leaving the Chancellor's office … just Anakin's worried face hovering over his own, and his father's hand holding his own tightly, as if the physical contact would keep Obi-Wan tethered in this world. Boba sighed and left the chair to sit on the bed carefully beside Obi-Wan.

"Three days. Miss Asajj is in the training salles, destroying any droids she can when she's not with you or the twins. Master Yan is meeting with the new/old Chancellor … oh. Right. The Senate has named the old Chancellor, Valorum, as interim Chancellor until elections can be held. Senator Organa didn't want the job and Aunt Padme says she's nowhere near experienced enough. 'Sides, there's the matter of conflict of interest, she says," the boy replied. Three days. A lot happened in three days. But Boba had more to tell him, saying, "Anakin said to tell you that his mom, your aunt, is on her way back from Tatooine and that you're in trouble with her as well. Not 'cause you got injured, but because you keep scaring her."

Well, that made a lot of sense. Aunt Shmi tended to react that way if any of her boys (which, he was quickly informed during the last visit, included him) were injured. Obi-Wan would have sighed, but his abdomen was still tender from his self-inflicted wound. Probably not his wisest course of action, but at the time, it seemed like the only way to protect his family. And then, Boba dropped the biggest bombshell, adding almost nonchalantly, "Oh, and I told Uncle Xan and Aunt Padme that I'm staying with you. I don't think Aunt Padme likes the idea very much, but she accepted it, and Uncle Xan says that you need someone with common sense to keep you from doing crazy things. He says it's a Jedi thing."

Obi-Wan blinked at Boba in astonishment, trying to process what he was just told. The youngster just blinked back at him innocently, and it was then that Anakin entered. He registered a double-take, seeing Obi-Wan awake, and then glowered at Boba, saying, "I thought you promised to let us know when he woke up, runt!" Obi-Wan suddenly had a vision of what the rest of his life would be like with these two and he groaned. Anakin immediately smacked the button on his bed that would call the healers, adding, "I'm so sorry, Master, the runt and I agreed that whoever was with you when you woke up would notify the others … including Grandmaster and Asajj. Obviously, someone doesn't know how to keep his word." Not surprisingly, Boba bristled at that particular accusation (he really needed to warn Anakin about Mandalorian honor and the cost of impugning the aforementioned honor).

"I do so … he just woke up! And quit calling me 'runt,' you great big gundark! I was telling Obi-Wan everything he needed to know from when he was unconscious," Boba fired back. Obi-Wan rested his hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to calm him down. It worked … briefly. And then there was the stampede of feet, signaling the arrival of his wife, his Master/father, the Master of the Order, and the Grandmaster … his grandmaster, who was sitting atop Asajj's shoulder as she carried Leia. Luke was in his grandfather's arms, and he immediately lunged for Obi-Wan.

The next few minutes were chaotic as the healers tried to make sure that Obi-Wan was healing, Boba flat-out refused to leave his side, saying that Jedi not only lacked common sense but basic self-preservation skills, Asajj kept touching his hair and his face to make sure he was really all right, his twins chattered at him … it was all getting to be too much, until Mace Windu whistled. The room went completely silent, and Mace leveled everyone with his best Disappointed Master of the Order look, saying, "That's enough … we are overwhelming Obi-Wan, and while there's much he needs to know, he just regained consciousness."

Master Yoda muttered something under his breath, something Obi-Wan was quite sure he didn't want to know about. Obi-Wan's own master sighed, observing, "You're right, Mace. First, child, how are you feeling? Are you experiencing pain?" Obi-Wan considered playing things down for all of two seconds, and then he nodded. He was exhausted and in pain, and not inclined to be stoic right now. With that confirmed, something was injected into him and the worst of the pain began to ease. His father looked at him, murmuring, "I should be angry with you, child … but then, I would have to be angry with myself, because you were only doing as I raised you. Has Boba informed you that he is my newest grandchild?"

Obi-Wan managed a smile at that, along with a nod, and Asajj observed wryly, "Yes, suddenly I have a ten year old son in addition to the twin terrors. I have to admit, though, he's wonderful with Luke and Leia. Just yesterday, I caught him telling Leia that any of her suitors would have to come through him, and he wouldn't allow just anyone to date his little sister." Obi-Wan thought briefly of Han Solo, and the interactions between the two men in the other reality. And now, Boba regarded Leia as his little sister … that would certainly make life interesting. For everyone. And he needed to find out where the young Corellian was right now. Later, though.

"Always growing, my line is … includes non-Jedi now, it does," Yoda muttered, sounding far more grumpy that he actually felt in the Force. Yes, there was definitely a touch of amusement there. Yoda added, almost laughing now, "Collected strays, your first Padawan did. Is being collected by others, your third one is." Papa actually rolled his eyes, mumbling something under his breath about 'annoying little green trolls' and 'I need all the help I can get to keep him out of trouble as an adult.' Obi-Wan thought briefly about pointing out that he wasn't exactly being fair, and then shook his head. No, he wouldn't waste his breath. That proved to be wise.

"There's something else, Master … something that you really need to know," Anakin said in the silence that followed, glancing at the head of their line, and then at the Master of the Order. Mace hesitated and then nodded. Thus reassured, Anakin returned his attention to Obi-Wan, saying, "Xanatos and his wife … they found something while investigating the Chancellor's office. Or rather, the Senate Guard found something and since Xanatos was the only Force-user on site, they reported their discovery to him."

All riiiiight. What exactly was Anakin trying to say here? It was something that his padawan was struggling with, obviously. The boy took a deep breath, muttering, 'why is this so frippin' hard to say?' Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, because Anakin rarely swore in his presence, much less like that. Anakin looked at him straight in the eye and said, his voice nearly trembling in rage, "They found Jasleen Palpatine, Master. Not her body, her … that Sith bitch had her frozen in carbonite and then hung in the secret room of her own father's office as a fripping wall decoration. She's alive, Master … Jasleen Palpatine is alive, and she's here in the Jedi Temple." It felt as if all the air was sucked from Obi-Wan's lungs with that particular revelation. An image of Han Solo frozen in carbonite in Jabba the Hutt's palace formed, and he shuddered despite the pain radiating at the motion.

Mace took up the narrative, explaining, "From what we've put together from her alarmingly thorough records, Pelonite arranged for the 'accident,' but switched out Jasleen with a copy of her. A clone, created for the sole purpose to die. Jasleen was badly injured, however … perhaps trying to save her clone, no one is entirely sure and Pelonite's records are frustratingly vague about that part … and it's those injuries that are creating issues with bringing her out of the carbonite. They want to stabilize her as much as possible before unfreezing her." Yes, that made a great deal of sense. Mace shook his head, his eyes nearly blazing, "That child has lost her father and too many years of her life. When she wakes up, she'll be all alone."

"But won't she have us?" Boba asked, looking around at the Jedi surrounding Obi-Wan's bed. The boy pressed on when no one answered, "I mean, she is family, sort of. The Chancellor was Force-sensitive, and the gundark told me that Force-sensitivity isn't necessarily passed from parent to child, but it often is." Said 'gundark' (Anakin) merely glared at the younger boy, who cheerfully ignored him. But, Boba raised a good point. Mace leaned forward until he was eye to eye with the newest member of their family.

"You're absolutely right, Boba … she will have us. Her father died saving the Republic and Obi-Wan. That makes her family. She'll have a home with us," he answered. Obi-Wan had the odd sense that not only was he speaking as Master Mace Windu … but as Master of the Order. Not that Master Yoda was arguing. Mace went on, "Right now, though, we need to leave the room so the healers can check on Obi-Wan's progress." Ah … actually, no, they didn't. Mace glowered at him, adding, "He'll argue with us, but it's part of making sure he takes care of himself. In the meantime, I think it's time you met one of our favorite non-Jedi, Dex. Oh, don't worry, Obi-Wan … his first meal at the diner will be with you, but I think he should at least meet Dex. That'll give me the opportunity to reassure him that you're all right."

Reassure him … they told Dex. Of course they did, whatever was he thinking? Papa added, "Just to be safe, I'll go along … it's been far too long since I saw that old reprobate." Obi-Wan arched both brows at his father who leaned forward to kiss the top of his head, murmuring, "You don't know how long they live, child." Ah. Excellent point. Asajj was the next to kiss him, observing that she needed to put the twins to bed … she would be back later. She was sure the healers wouldn't begrudge her cuddling time with her husband ('as long as you don't poke at his wounds, it'll be fine,' Bant agreed). Yoda poked at Boba, who obligingly lifted him onto his shoulder, before sliding down from Obi-Wan's bed.

Anakin was the last to leave, pausing just long to hug Obi-Wan fiercely as he whispered, "You will never know how much I love you, Master … there aren't words enough in any language. I'm still mad at you, but I know you were just trying to protect us, like you always do. But now, it's our turn to take care of you." Obi-Wan kissed the side of his padawan's head, whispering, 'And I love you, my dear padawan.' Anakin's arms tightened around him, and then he left Obi-Wan to the healers. Outside, he could hear Anakin and Boba bickering. Those two would certainly make his life interesting over the next few years … followed by Luke and Leia. And what came next? He wasn't sure. Even with Lady Sidious gone, the war might continue. There was the possibility that Darth Plagueis lived. And what of the Vong?

That remained to be seen. One of the last false memories he recalled took the future in a new direction, and a return of the empire with a new name, the First Order. The Jedi Order was stronger than it was in that other reality, and Obi-Wan knew better than to try to prevent possible futures. He knew that sometimes, those preventive actions ended up causing the very future that was supposed to be averted. But this time … this time, he wouldn't be alone. According to Master Yoda, the Jedi Order now numbered nearly twenty thousand strong.

No, he wasn't alone … and Jasleen Palpatine, if she woke up, when she woke up, wouldn't be alone, either. Obi-Wan smiled at that comforting thought, and let his exhaustion take him into a dreamless sleep.

TBC


	18. The Shape of Things to Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Obi-Wan's new padawan (and yes, it's someone you'll recognize); Jasleen Palpatine regains consciousness … and meets someone who might end up quite important to her; while a new program is instituted at the Temple, one that will end up having a significant impact on the life of Obi-Wan's eldest daughter Leia.

The Jedi Temple  
Coruscant  
Three Years Later

He strode down the corridors of the Jedi Temple, grinning and responding to cheerful hellos and waves from the initiates on their way to class. At his side, his sister-padawan struggled to keep up, muttering about his long legs. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker dropped his arm around her shoulders, snickering, "Not to worry, Snips, you'll grow up soon enough … and maybe you'll grow taller than Master Obi-Wan." His former master's new padawan, one Ahsoka Tano, glowered up at him and Anakin laughed again.

"Not … funny, Skyguy! And where are we going, anyhow? You, Master and Asajj have been acting weird the last few days … well, weirder than normal at least, and for you, that's saying a lot. Master Obi-Wan keeps fretting about what kind of help 'she' will need, but just looks guilty every time I ask who 'she' is, and Asajj has tried to explain, but every time she gets started, the twins get into something they shouldn't," Ahsoka retorted. Anakin rolled his eyes as he led his 'little sister' into the Halls of Healing. This would take some explanation. Then again, over the last few years, that was the norm.

The war finally ended the previous year … despite the revelations regarding Lady Sidious and her manipulations, the Separatists were unwilling to even negotiate at first. According to Padme Amidala, there were legitimate complaints on their end … but even she had to admit that if they were going to ask for outlandish things (such as the termination of the clones), then there would be no peace. Master Mace infamously informed the Separatist Council and the Senate when he learned of that demand that if the Senate caved, the Jedi would leave Coruscant … and the Separatists would rue the day they ever made such a demand. Oh, the Jedi wouldn't attack them … but there were several Separatist worlds that were hurting badly as a result of the war. Since there weren't enough Jedi to help each world, the clone troopers would be assisting where they could. If there were no clone troopers, it would be a long time before certain worlds received help. The message was received loud and clear.

Anakin quietly cheered when he heard about that response … not surprisingly, once that promise was made, the Senate told the Separatist Council exactly what they could do with that particular demand, and the SC (as Anakin called it in his head) backed down. They might have ignored it, coming from Anakin or Asajj … possibly even from Master Obi-Wan … but they couldn't ignore it coming from the Master of the Order himself (soon to be Grandmaster, since Yoda was thinking seriously about stepping down).

But the war was over and gradually, the vod were acclimating to their new lives. Most of the 501st and 212th were remaining on Coruscant. Just as Boba warned, he did indeed tell his 'brothers' that Master Obi-Wan impaled himself on his own 'saber when Order Sixty-Six was issued. Cody went white with horror … and he was only marginally relieved when Obi-Wan explained what Order Sixty-six was. Of course, he promptly lost what little color he gained back again when he learned what Order Sixty-Six was in the other reality (then he lost what little he'd eaten when he found out what his alternate did. And refused to let Obi-Wan out of his sight outside the Temple for the next three ten-days, much to the consternation of Anakin's former master … and amusement of everyone else in the Order).

The twins now had a new sister … not Ahsoka, although they toddled after her regularly. No, this was Obi-Wan and Asajj's newborn daughter, Miya, named for her paternal grandmother. When Anakin teasingly asked if they would try for a fourth child, Obi-Wan turned an interesting shade of green and answered with a resounding 'no.' (Asajj wasn't as sure … she wanted another daughter. Anakin thought Master Obi-Wan was worried about being outnumbered. Then again, he was outnumbered with just Asajj). Obi-Wan pointed out that they had a padawan in Ahsoka, who counted as another daughter. Which was true, but Anakin highly doubted if his sister was giving up just yet. She was stubborn that way, Asajj was. Then again, so was Master Obi-Wan.

As was Ahsoka, but all he could tell her was, 'you'll find out when we get there.' Because the truth was, over the last several weeks, Jasleen Palpatine's vital signs began steadily improving. Today, though … today, they would try to wake her up. He'd already gotten the talk about how this would just be an attempt, and he shouldn't get his hopes up. Really, how old did they think he was? (He purposefully didn't ask that where Ahsoka could hear him … there was a reason he called her 'Snips,' after all).

He knew there was a chance she wouldn't wake up today … but he had a feeling. Today was the day. Anakin still didn't know if he was the Chosen One, as Master Jinn believed he was, but he did know that most of the time, his 'feelings' turned out to be right. As he led his younger padawan-sibling into the room where Jasleen would be awakened, he said softly, reverently, "Her name is Jasleen Palpatine, and today, they will try to bring her out of the carbonite freeze she's been in for nearly fifteen years." He could just see Ahsoka start to tease him about 'there is no try,' but her mouth snapped shut when she recognized the name. Anakin smirked and teased, "Watch and learn, young padawan." Of course, Snips glowered at him for that.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

She was cold … she was so cold! A gentle voice said, "You'll warm up … oh, thanks." A moment later, something was being tucked around her, and she had a sudden image of a man, who seemed much larger than herself, doing the exact same thing. Her father? Everything was jumbled together. Right now, she didn't even remember her name … but the warmth felt so good. That gentle voice went on, "It'll take some time for you to warm up, but you'll get there. You're safe … I know you have a lot of questions, but you're safe and you're not alone."

A hand closed around hers and she tried to squeeze in response, but her muscles didn't want to work. She asked hoarsely, "Who … who are you? Where am I?" She almost asked who she was, but then she remembered. Her name was Jasleen Palpatine, she was twenty-two standard years old, and … Kimi. Oh, Kimi, what did you do? She whimpered, and that comforting hand tightened around her own. She whispered, "She was my friend … she was my friend, and she set me up. I remember, oh Force, I remember!" By now, she was almost weeping, and now there was a hand in her hair, lightly caressing.

"Easy … they hoped you wouldn't remember right away. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how much pain you're in. And I don't know if this will help or make things worse, but you need to know that Kimi Pelonite is dead. She's dead and she can't hurt you or anyone else ever again." Jasleen thought briefly that if the individual (a male, she identified now) wasn't sure if it would help or hurt, maybe he shouldn't have said anything. A moment later, though, she had to admit to herself that he was right … it was something she needed to know. She started to ask another question (or remind him that he never told her who he was), but she suddenly felt exhausted. He squeezed her hand and observed, "You're still worn out … the healers said this would happen. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

She wasn't even aware that she'd opened her eyes, but she felt them closing and drifted back to sleep. There were still so many questions she needed to ask, but it would wait … it would …. She had no idea how long she was asleep, but the next time she opened her eyes … well, it was blurry, but that was an improvement over the last time. A familiar voice said, "Oh, you're awake!" She felt herself smiling and a gentle hand touched her cheek. The man from earlier went on, "You slept for a few days, but the healers say that's a good sign. You might not be able to see properly, but you should at least see shapes."

"I … yes. I do," she answered hoarsely, then cringed at just how hoarse she sounded. There was a muffled apology, followed by a blob moving slowly toward her face. It … or, part of it … was a straw and Jasleen sucked on it gratefully, nearly moaning in relief as some desperately needed water soothed the inside of her mouth and throat. After a few seconds, it was taken away. Jasleen tried not to sulk … she knew too much would make her sick. Instead, she breathed, "Thank you … where am I? And who are you?" It seemed like the world was coming into clearer focus, because she was starting see colors, shapes, and possibly … features?

"Ugh, sorry … I should have started off with that. I'm Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, and you're in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," her companion … Anakin Skywalker … said. But what really got Jasleen's attention wasn't his name, but the location. Coruscant. They were on Coruscant … the last thing she remembered was the accident on Naboo, seeing that woman who looked so much like her in danger. She remembered pain. And she remembered Kimi's cruel smile as she blacked out. But Kimi was dead now, wasn't she?

"How long … how long has it been?" she asked. How long has it been, why am I on Coruscant, where's my father? Her father … oh, he must be beside himself with worry! It was just the two of them since her mother died, and as nervous as it made her sometimes, her father made her the center of his world in the wake of her mother's death. Oh … she was starting to see a face! She thought. She saw some red, turned up at the corners … then again, she was assuming that this Knight was a human like herself. Always a dangerous thing, making assumptions.

"I know you have a lot of questions. In answer to the one you asked aloud … I know this will be an unpleasant shock, but it's been fifteen standard years," the Knight answered. F … fifteen years? Fifteen standard years? Jasleen's hand came up from her lap to press against her chest. The Knight added, sounding more than a little apologetic, "I know it's a terrible shock, and there will be others. The Healers told me to expect questions … and they told me to answer them. They seem to think that you becoming agitated is far worse for your health and recovery than hearing the answers to your questions." Something for which Jasleen was thoroughly grateful.

"How did I come to be here and … and what about my father?" she asked. She honestly didn't know what she wanted the answer to be. She wanted her father, if she was really honest with herself. But … fifteen years? She shuddered at what that would do to her father. And then she remembered something. She'd been frozen in carbonite … but if she was badly injured, her father would have never done that. So it was Kimi? A stray memory or dream floated through her mind, of those terrible moments after the accident (and was it really an accident?) … Kimi grinning nastily down at her, with an older man (she thought) at her side.

"To put it in simplest terms, you were kidnapped … which is how you came to be on Coruscant, rather than Naboo. And your father … I'm afraid your father died a few years ago, Jasleen … if you don't mind me calling you that," the Knight answered. Jasleen inhaled, her lungs squeezing her heart. At least, that was how she felt. Her father was dead. Her hand moved from her chest to her mouth as she fought back tears. She felt herself enfolded in a warm embrace, and Jasleen held onto the Knight with all of her strength as she cried … cried herself to sleep.

The third time she awoke, she could actually see: there were two men sitting beside her. They were young … at least, not old. One was in his mid to late thirties, with auburn hair and a slightly darker beard. His eyes were blue, and they were kind. He was also quite handsome. The second man was considerably younger, around Jasleen's own age … and very, very handsome in his own right with his longish, wavy dark blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and mischievous grin. He was teasing the older man about something … right up until the time he looked toward Jasleen. And then his smile turned welcoming as he said, "Master, we have company." Oh. Oh, that was Anakin Skywalker's voice. This was the Jedi Knight who held her as she wept for the loss of her father?

The auburn-haired man looked up and smiled, saying in a refined accent, "Hello, my dear. It's good to see you awake. Anakin tells me that he's introduced himself to you … I'm his former master, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi." Jasleen smiled shyly, and Master Kenobi went on, "I understand that Anakin has already answered some of your questions. As he mentioned, our Healers believe that honesty will be less damaging to your recovery than half-truths. I will try to answer more of your questions, unless the Healers specifically directed me not to do so. You know that your father died a few years ago. I'm not sure if it will help to know that he died as a hero, saving not just my life, but the lives of many others … perhaps even the Republic itself."

Jasleen blinked back tears … did it help? Not appreciably … her father was still dead, after all. Was she proud of him? Beyond belief. She said as much, adding, "I was my father's world. I'm so glad he was able to give of himself to others, even after he thought he'd lost me. Do you … do you know why Kimi …?" She trailed off, not entirely sure how to ask the question. Why did Kimi do such things, what did I do wrong? Master Kenobi leaned forward and put his hand over hers lightly. Knight Skywalker took her other hand, both men looking very serious.

"Kimi allied herself with the Dark Side … with the Sith, more to the point. Are you familiar with them?" he asked and Jasleen shook her head. The handsome Master explained, "Kimi sought power, and she was willing to go to any length to get it. She found a mentor in the form of Darth Plagueis. There is a possibility that he's still alive … we do know that she attempted to use you … more to the point, use your death … to control your father." Jasleen couldn't quite hold back the snort … someone control her father? Had they met him?

But in spite of that, her mind went back to what Master Kenobi said about what Kimi desired most. And it led to one, inescapable conclusion. At the time of Jasleen's accident, her father was talking about running for Chancellor, and he'd been serving in the Senate for some time before then. She asked slowly, her heart breaking at the thought, "So … she was never truly my friend, I was only ever a means to an end to her?" Master Kenobi looked down, and she had her answer. Jasleen closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

Her father was dead. Kimi was dead and was only ever using her. Both painful truths, and ones she would need to come to terms with, sooner rather than later. She found herself grateful to the Jedi healers for telling her companions to be honest with her. At last, she opened her eyes once more and said as calmly as she could, "I see. Thank you for being honest with me. How long do the Healers expect for me to recover? There was a glance between the two Jedi, and it seemed to her like they were having a conversation.

Finally, Knight Skywalker returned his attention to her and answered, "You are mostly recovered … you just need to gain strength. Master Obi-Wan and his padawan are leaving for a mission tomorrow, to assist with a planetary disaster in the Outer Rim. My mission for the next few weeks is helping you in any way I can." Well, that left things rather open-ended! And he was very, very cute. Jasleen immediately chastised herself … really, didn't she have enough to worry about, without noticing the good looks of her younger companion. And wasn't he several years younger than she was?

Except he wasn't, not really. While she was technically closer to Master Kenobi's age, in her mind, body and heart, Jasleen was still twenty-two standard years old. Knight Skywalker didn't seem to be much younger than that, if at all. JASLEEN! Ugh, she needed to get more sleep. There had to be something wrong with her if she was noticing how attractive (really, really attractive) a man was, only hours after learning that her best friend was using her/never really cared about her, and her father was dead. That was it, she was still exhausted … and maybe grabbing onto someone who'd been there since she woke up? As if hearing her thoughts, Master Kenobi added gently, "You should get some rest, Jasleen … give yourself time to process what you've learned. Anakin, why don't you stay with her until she falls asleep? I need to see how far Ahsoka's gotten with her pre-mission briefings."

"Sure thing, Master … I'll swing by your quarters for dinner tonight," Knight Skywalker replied. Master Kenobi rose to his feet, offering her a slight, courtly bow that made her smile, before striding from the room. Jasleen closed her eyes and lay back. It didn't seem real. Her father was dead, Kimi betrayed her. Maybe when she was stronger, she would ask to see her father's tomb, whether it was here on Coruscant or on Naboo. Maybe … Jasleen's thoughts trailed off as she drifted back to sleep. And as she did, she still held onto Anakin Skywalker's hand.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Thirteen year old Boba Fett impatiently shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood beside his … what was she to him? Surrogate mother? She wasn't all that much older than he was … bah, did it matter what he called her? She was Asajj, she was family, and that was all that mattered, not her specific title. While Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were gone, he was the man of the household ... something he took very seriously. Not that Asajj necessarily did. Right now, she glanced at him with a faint smile, murmuring, "Patience, my very young padawan." Boba just glowered at her … right, as if. One, he wasn't even a Jedi, and two … well, two, he wasn't even a Jedi. Asajj outright laughed, saying, "Oh, I'm sure you will make me pay for it later, but it was worth it."

"Considering I'm almost as tall as you? You better believe it," Boba answered smugly. In answer, Asajj just ruffled his hair as the new set of youngsters were led into the Temple. They were part of a new program that Obi-Wan, Master Mace, Master Yan, and Yoda instituted … bringing younglings who lost everything in the war (especially family) to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple, whether they were Force sensitive or not. The younglings ranged in age from infants to older children (read: Boba's age), and those infants were in the arms of those older children. Boba already talked to one of the newbies, a Correllian boy his own age named 'Han Solo.' He hadn't yet decided yet if he liked this boy or not … he was too much like Boba.

One thing he'd learned from living with Obi-Wan and Asajj wasn't that opposites attracted … but they did tend to complement each other. When he'd told Obi-Wan about Solo the night before during dinner after the initial meeting at the Senate building (arranged by Boba's Aunt Padme), the Jedi grinned and answered, 'either he'll be your dearest friend or your worst enemy. That's been my experience with people who are far more alike than they are different.' Then Luke decided to show off the latest lesson from Master Yoda and Leia wanted attention, too … something both twins got, from the teenager and their parents.

Now, as the orphaned younglings came to a halt, Asajj stepped forward and cleared her throat, saying, "Good morning. I am Knight Asajj Ventress-Kenobi, and I'll be your guide today. This is my son, Boba, who'll be assisting." Boba, as he always did, twitched when Asajj called him her son. It was odd to him, that even though he didn't regard her as his mother (or Obi-Wan as his father), he was regarded as his son. He'd made that observation to Cody once (after his brother stopped shadowing Obi-Wan every time he left the Temple), and Cody snorted, answering, 'little brother, you're the only one who doesn't see those two as your parents.' Boba still wasn't sure how he felt about that.

And Solo was smirking at Asajj, mouth open and ready to say something smart-ass … but Asajj, as ever, was way ahead of him, as she added, "And please, don't bother flirting with me. In the first place, I'm happily married with three children … and in the second, my husband is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi." Boba straightened his shoulders when all of the younglings looked awed by that announcement. He might not regard Obi-Wan as one of his parents, but he most assuredly did regard him as family, and he was fiercely proud of that.

Solo smirked again, though he still looked impressed, and replied, "Can't blame a guy for trying, sweetheart." Boba just rolled his eyes. Idiot. Solo added, looking a little more un-nerved, "Was he really one of the ones who took out the Chancellor's assistant?" Obi-Wan always looked annoyed when people brought that up, because in his eyes, he hadn't done a thing … except insure that he couldn't be used against the people he loved. Master Mace was still trying to get through to him just how important that truly was, assisted by Anakin, Asajj, Master Yan, and others. He just didn't understand how hard it would have been for them to take him out … not just kill him, but defeat him.

And Asajj had no patience for what she saw as her husband's false modesty (except it wasn't false, not really, and they both knew that). She said proudly, "He was, and so was I. And one of these days, you'll hear the real story about what happened in that office, not what the holonet and the media say happened, but what really happened." The younglings all perked up and Asajj went on, "Now, come along … we have a lot of ground to cover. Right now, we'll just be doing the main tour, and the places where you can ask for help if you get lost."

With that, she turned on her heel and began striding away further into the Temple. Boba fell into step behind her, and he wasn't entirely surprised when Solo made his way up to the front, murmuring, "So … you're the son of Jango Fett." Boba inclined his head, and Solo went on, "You went from being the son of a Jedi-killer to the son of one of the greatest Masters in the Jedi Order … the person who most people think of when they think of the Jedi."

Boba bristled at this description of his father, but he couldn't really argue with it. Master Yan took the responsibility of explaining to Boba exactly why his late father hated the Jedi. He wanted Boba to understand two very important things … first, that the Jedi made terrible mistakes, and that there was a reason Jedi sometimes seemed detached. It wasn't just to protect them, Boba came to realize, but to protect others. The second thing he needed Boba to understand why his father hated the Jedi, so he would understand just how much of a hero his father was, to die trying to protect a Jedi … and not just any Jedi, but the son of the man who destroyed his life. It wasn't forgiveness, as such … but it was something very close. Jango would have never forgiven Yan … but he did not hold the sins of the father against the son.

Thinking of that now, Boba answered softly, "My father died saving Obi-Wan's life three years ago, when they faced off with Darth Sidious. When he did that, I knew I was supposed to stay with Obi-Wan. He would tell you that because Dad saving him, that made me his responsibility. But the truth is, I chose Obi-Wan. I chose to stay with him, because he sometimes falls, but he always gets up, and he never stops trying." It was an imperfect explanation, but for someone he barely knew, it was the best one he could provide. He'd had a hard time explaining that to his uncle, but as it turned out, Uncle Xan understood. Aunt Padme likely never would, but Uncle Xan understood … better than Boba could have hoped.

Solo was quiet as he walked alongside Boba. And when he did speak again, it wasn't the question the Mandalorian teen was expecting. Solo asked softly, "So … this business of taking in war orphans … hell, orphans, period … it's not just a publicity stunt for the Order?" Boba shook his head. It wasn't that the Order was an intergalactic orphanage right now. And really, it was hard to explain. Nor was he quite ready to admit, even to himself, that his innocent question a year and a half earlier could have led to this. He smiled as he noticed Master Mace toting around one of the earlier arrivals on his hip. Boba was also there when that little girl arrived … she was terrified of Master Mace at first. And now look at her.

"No … more like, it's the Order trying to lower its walls. They started the process of changing themselves from the inside when Obi-Wan was a baby. Now, they're changing their face to the public, and Master Yoda has a soft spot for younglings. It's a long story, but no … it's not a publicity stunt. And your group is the second group we've welcomed into the Temple," Boba answered. He could have told Solo that they were looking to the future, to change the way their younglings interacted with other, non-Force-sensitive children. He could have told him that for many Jedi, this was atonement for the grief of the war. He could have told Solo a number of things, and they all would have been the truth.

Darth Sidious played mind games with Obi-Wan Kenobi, creating a false future to destroy his spirit by showing him pieces of the truth, turned darker and painful by tweaking events here and there, even using Boba and his father to do it. She showed him a terrible future, a terrifying reality that should have driven him insane (Boba was sure that it would have driven him insane). What she never expected was for him to fight her every step of the way, and then, once he was rescued, using those pieces of the truth not just to defeat her but to help his family in the Jedi forge a brighter future for them all. Boba thought again of the future that his father by mutual adoption saw, and not for the first time, not for the last time, was so grateful he chose to poke his face between the bars of Obi-Wan Kenobi's cell.

Solo observed quietly, interrupting Boba's thoughts, "Well … maybe this will turn out all right." Boba grinned at the other boy. All right? This was going to be fantastic! A cautious smile lit Solo's face, and once more, Obi-Wan's words were proven correct. As Han Solo smiled back at him, Boba began to realize that this boy wouldn't be his sworn enemy at all, but his dearest friend (at least, unless the utterly insane happened and Solo gave his little sister Leia second or third looks when she got older. In that case, all bets were off).

To Be Concluded


	19. The Truths We Cling To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A descendent of Obi-Wan and Anakin learns the truth about his family … while our heroes make an appearance themselves.

Alberta, Canada  
Planet Earth  
January 2017

"So … what you're saying is, it's all real? It really happened, it's true? It's part of our family?"

Ben Walker smiled at his son and cradled his newborn granddaughter even closer. He imagined that was what his face looked like when his father told him the story of their family, so long ago. The reaction, his father told him later with a rueful smile, was predictable at this point. As usual, his father was right. What was just as predictable was his son's next question, "Were … those their real names? Palpatine, Obi-Wan … were those their real names?"

"Close enough," Ben conceded, bowing his head to kiss his granddaughter's tiny forehead. It was hard to explain how the names changed and evolved over the millennia. When they said, 'a long time ago,' it was at that, thousands upon thousands of years earlier. He went on, "My own name is a variation of Obi-Wan's, just as your grandfather's name was a variation of Yan Dooku. It's all true … from a certain point of view, as Obi-Wan might have said." His son's eyebrows raised and Ben explained, "In the circumstances of the movies, based on what that version of Obi-Wan went through, he would have said such a thing."

"That brings up another question … how did the movies come about? I mean, those are movies, but they are a variation on our family's history. In truth, Anakin Skywalker never fell … right?" the young man asked. Ben looked at his son, who was staring at him with wide eyes. That's right … for all intents and purposes, he'd just learned that his lifelong heroes were not only real, but part of his family. It was somewhat different for Cody (yes, named for the loyal clone) … because he had to share his heroes and ancestors with the entire world.

"No, although it was a near thing when Jasleen was poisoned by someone with ties to Kimi Pelonite … if Obi-Wan hadn't been there, he might well have fallen. As to how the movies came to be … more than likely, one of our cousins got drunk and talked about what Obi-Wan saw in that other reality. I don't know who, and really, it doesn't matter. That's a worst case scenario, the movies are. We know the truth, and that's all that matters," Ben observed. He chose not to mention that while Anakin hadn't fallen, Leia's daughter and Obi-Wan's granddaughter, did … Ben wasn't ready to talk about that part of their heritage, or the devastating consequences it had for Leia and her beloved father. Cody nodded, his eyes shifting to his daughter. Ben added (because his son was a lawyer, and it needed to be said), "And there's no point in suing. We can prove the truth, but in the end, it's not worth it. The world can keep its space tragedy. We know the truth."

Cody looked up, startled, and rolled his eyes. He retorted, "Never even crossed my mind, Dad. I may be a lawyer, but I don't counsel my clients to sue at the drop of a hat. That's a waste of time. That's why you suggested 'Jocelyn' for the baby's name, in honor of Jasleen Palpatine Skywalker?" Ben nodded with a pleased grin. Yes, that was exactly why. Cody went on, stroking his daughter's cheek as she fought off sleep with all the strength in her tiny body, "So, we're descended from both Obi-Wan and Anakin?" Again, Ben nodded.

"Correct. While in the movies, just as in the alternate reality, Luke was the son of Anakin Skywalker, he was actually his son-in-law. He married Anakin and Jasleen's oldest daughter, Drisana … and the adventures those two had would make an incredible movie series as well. Luke was a Jedi Knight, like his father and his father-in-law, and Drisana was an archaeologist who worked for the Order. Leia actually did marry Han Solo … much to the consternation of her older brother Boba," the older man answered wryly.

Cody blinked, and asked warily, "Just out of curiosity, did Boba threaten to encase Han in carbonite if he ever broke Leia's heart?" Ben smirked and raised an eyebrow … whyever would his son ask that particular question. Cody mumbled more under his breath than anything, "Got a shovel talk from Ash's father along those lines, only he said he would have me frozen if I ever hurt his baby girl." Ben would have laughed, but it really wasn't funny and wouldn't have been funny even if Cody wasn't his son, and he resolved to talk to Ash's father at his first opportunity.

"Yeah, that particular shovel talk was given … although not where Jasleen could hear it. As you can imagine, she was a bit sensitive about the question of being frozen in carbonite. Actually, Boba never made that threat where Leia could hear it, either. She became a diplomat, yes, and was greatly influenced by Bail Organa … but she was also Asajj Ventress' daughter, and she could be quite creative when it came to retribution. That's where your mother gets it," Ben added ruefully. His wife was extremely imaginative when it came back to such things.

Cody just smirked, murmuring, "Yeah, I can imagine … on both counts. So … and this will be my last question before I go heat up Jocelyn's bottle … how do we know all this? I mean, I can't imagine that the records have lasted all this time." Ben considered what to tell his eldest child. It was a Walker family tradition to tell each child about their heritage once he or she became a parent themselves, so they could pass on the stories to the next generation. But … and this was very important … Cody wasn't ready to hear the whole story. For now, it was enough that he knew the truth about Obi-Wan, Anakin and the rest of their ancestors.

The truth about the Force could wait until another time. At last, he said, "The original records, no … but each generation, a scribe is born into the family who copies down the previous generation's records. Remember, too, that when our ancestors arrived here on Earth, they had access to technology that we didn't. They also began engraving records in stone. It wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, except someone who arrived from that area." Cody nodded thoughtfully, before smiling at his daughter.

"You are descended from some of the greatest heroes imaginable, little one," he murmured, kissing her forehead as his father held his baby girl, "I can't wait until I can pass these stories onto you!" He looked up at Ben, adding, "Thank you so much for telling me, Dad. I swear, I will start writing down the stories so that Jocelyn and her siblings can carry on our heritage. I have a feeling there's still more I haven't been told. Jocelyn … be good for Grandpa." With those words, Ben's eldest child swept into the kitchen where he would begin heating the milk for his baby daughter's next meal.

'Truth from a certain point of view, indeed,' a familiar voice observed, with more than a hint of laughter. Ben turned to face the newcomer, a blue-lined figure who stood across from him, hands on his hips. The Force-ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi beamed at him before turning his attention to Jocelyn, murmuring, 'So this is the newest generation. Does Cody yet know what his daughter's middle name means?' Jocelyn blinked up at her long-dead ancestor, reaching up for a man who couldn't reach back.

"Not yet. I wasn't sure if he was ready for that. He's not even ready to know about you," Ben told the spirit. When he'd watched the prequel movies, he was stunned by how close they'd come to his ancestors' physical appearances (although, his wife sniffed that Obi-Wan was even better-looking in reality. Ben chose not to argue). Obi-Wan nodded and smiled down at Jocelyn once more. Ben asked hesitantly, "Why did you manifest yourself to me when you did? The only one of my children who has seen you thus far is Deenie."

'There are times, namesake of mine, when I grow weary of the company in the Force and seek out my flesh and blood descendents. Not only did you bear my name, but you reminded me a great deal of not just Luke, but Boba as well. Luke has maintained his consciousness in the Force … Boba has not. I have missed him deeply, but being around you, I missed him a little less,' was the somewhat unexpected answer. Ben thought about Cody dying, and never seeing him again in the afterlife, and a lump formed in his throat. Yes, he could see where Obi-Wan was coming from, in that respect. Obi-Wan added, 'The same is true of your Dakini. By the way, does she know that her name means, 'she who walks the sky,' Ben?'

"Not yet," was Ben's prompt response, "and I probably won't tell her until she turns eighteen. It's weird enough that my sixteen year old daughter has a crush on her ancestor … when I tell her that she's named after the Skywalker line, I'll never heard the end of it." He was amused by the blush that stained the Jedi Master's cheeks … he shouldn't have been able to see the blush, but he was of the Kenobi-Skywalker line. They specialized in that sort of thing.

'Hmm. Yes. I had noticed the way Dakini began looking at me around the time she turned fifteen,' Obi-Wan answered. Well, that was promising! From what Anakin told him, Obi-Wan didn't always notice such things … or realize what they meant. His ancestor and namesake went on after a moment, 'And I must apologize for interrupting your time with your granddaughter. I believe you were starting something? It would be quite rude … uncivilized, even … not to finish.' Ben rolled his eyes at his ancestor, but smiled anyhow.

He turned his attention back to his granddaughter, murmuring, "It's time for me to welcome you to the world and to our family, as we've always done, ever since Obi-Wan and Anakin's descendents first landed on this planet, so many thousands of years ago." He looked at Obi-Wan, rolling his eyes when Anakin Skywalker appeared beside his former Master and eternal cousin, wearing a goofy grin he'd learned long ago to recognize. Silly boy. He turned his attention back to Jocelyn, murmuring, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …"

The End … and, the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here ends 'Pieces of the Truth.' I'll be posting its sequel, 'Rising from the Ashes' in the next few days, which involves Din Djarin, Baby Yoda, Boba, and Boba's extended family.

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been completed. I'm doing a tiny bit of editing before I post each chapter, because I wrote it over the course of nine years, so there might be some inconsistencies. I'm trying to make sure there are as few as possible.


End file.
